“Take the Book in your right hand....”

It was the Associate’s voice.  As in a dream I heard the oath administered.

“The truth....  The whole truth....  And nothing but the truth.”

Dale’s lips moved and he kissed the Testament.

He was very pale.  As he laid the Book down, our eyes met, and he looked me full in the face.  My heart began to thump violently.

“Your name is Walter Dale?” said counsel.

“Yes”—­in a low voice.

“Speak up, please, so that his lordship and the Jury may hear.  You are a chauffeur in the employ of the defendant?”

“Yes.”

“Do you remember the twenty-second of May?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Now, I want you to tell the Court in your own words exactly what you did that day.  First of all, on that day did your master’s car leave the garage?”

“Yes, it did.”

The Court gasped.  Jurymen, counsel, officials, reporters—­every one sat up as if they had been shot.  Even the Judge started, and the defendant half rose from his seat and, when his solicitor laid a hand on his arm, sank back with bayed ferocity in his eyes and a face the colour of cigar-ash.

“I don’t think you quite understood my question,” purred counsel.  “On the twenty-second of May, the day of the accident to the plaintiff’s car, did Mr. Bladder’s car, of which you were in charge, leave the garage?”

“Yes,” said Dale sturdily, “it did.”

“You understand what you’re saying?” said the Judge.

“Yes, sir.  An’ if I was to say anythin’ else, I’d not only be tellin’ a lie, but I’d be doin’ in the bes’ friend as ever I ’ad.”  He pointed to me.  “The Captain there.  Little I knowed, when I took ’is money”—­scornfully he nodded at the defendant—­“’oo it was we run into that day.  Twenty-five pound it was, an’ another twenty-five if we won the case.”

“My lord,” said counsel, protesting, “I——­”

The Judge held up his hand and turned to the witness.

“Remember you are on your oath.”

“I do that, sir.  It’s gospel truth what I’m sayin’.  The accident ’appened exactly as you’ve ’eard them tell.  ‘E was drivin’, an’ me by ’is side.  Tore by ’em, we did, an’ ’it ’em an’ left ’em.  Sends me up to Town for a new ‘ub-cap the nex’ day.  Lettin’ ’er out, ’e was, to see ’ow she’d run after the over’aul.  That was the day before.”

He paused for lack of breath, and the Judge turned his head slowly and peered at counsel over the rim of his glasses.

I was looking at the defendant.

If any corroboration of Dale’s story were needed, it was written upon his master’s face for all to see.  Guilt, fear, and beastly rage were horribly depicted.  The close-set eyes shifted frantically from side to side.  The mouth worked uncontrollably....

As I looked, the fellow rose to his feet, swayed, put a hand to his throat, and stepped uncertainly towards the doors.  The crowd parted, and he passed through....