“I have now,” concluded the Serjeant, like an actor carefully preparing his effect, “traced this friendly intimacy down to a point where it begins to be dangerous:  I do not wish to aggravate the gravity of the charge in the slightest by any rhetoric or by an unconscious over-statement; you shall therefore, gentlemen of the jury, hear from Miss Travers herself what took place between her and Dr. Wilde and what she complains of.”

Miss Travers then went into the witness-box.  Though thin and past her first youth, she was still pretty in a conventional way, with regular features and dark eyes.  She was examined by Mr. Butt, Q.C.  After confirming point by point what Serjeant Armstrong had said, she went on to tell the jury that in the summer of ’62 she had thought of going to Australia, where her two brothers lived, who wanted her to come out to them.  Dr. Wilde lent her L40 to go, but told her she must say it was L20 or her father might think the sum too large.  She missed the ship in London and came back.  She was anxious to impress on the jury the fact that she had repaid Dr. Wilde, that she had always repaid whatever he had lent her.

She went on to relate how one day Dr. Wilde had got her in a kneeling position at his feet, when he took her in his arms, declaring that he would not let her go until she called him William.  Miss Travers refused to do this, and took umbrage at the embracing and ceased to visit at his house:  but Dr. Wilde protested extravagantly that he had meant nothing wrong, and begged her to forgive him and gradually brought about a reconciliation which was consummated by pressing invitations to parties and by a loan of two or three pounds for a dress, which loan, like the others, had been carefully repaid.

The excitement in the court was becoming breathless.  It was felt that the details were cumulative; the doctor was besieging the fortress in proper form.  The story of embracings, reconciliations and loans all prepared the public for the great scene.

The girl went on, now answering questions, now telling bits of the story in her own way, Mr. Butt, the great advocate, taking care that it should all be consecutive and clear with a due crescendo of interest.  In October, 1862, it appeared Lady Wilde was not in the house at Merrion Square, but was away at Bray, as one of the children had not been well, and she thought the sea air would benefit him.  Dr. Wilde was alone in the house.  Miss Travers called and was admitted into Dr. Wilde’s study.  He put her on her knees before him and bared her neck, pretending to examine the burn; he fondled her too much and pressed her to him:  she took offence and tried to draw away.  Somehow or other his hand got entangled in a chain at her neck.  She called out to him, “You are suffocating me,” and tried to rise:  but he cried out like a madman:  “I will, I want to,” and pressed what seemed to be a handkerchief over her face.  She declared that she lost consciousness.