The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 229: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

212 REYNOLDS’ WORKS oner’s imagination had conjured up to serve her own pur- pose and exculpate herself, he (the learned counsel) hoped for the honour of the English bar that no member thereof would found a defence upon unsupported recrimination and ~ unjustifable calumny. But if, on the other hand, the defence — as he (the prosecuting counsel) hoped and ex- pected — was to be conducted fairly, honestly, and frankly, he repeated his former assertion that he could not for the life of htm surmise of what nature it could be. He was in- deed utterly at a loss to conjecture how any evidence could be brought forward in antagonism with the testimony to be adduced for the prosecution, but he had all possible faith in the wisdom of the jury in, arriving at a correct verdict in the end. The learned counsel sat down, and the crowded auditory felt that the mass of evidence, circumstantial and direct, did indeed press with such fearful weight against the accused that not even by the wildest conjecture could it be surmised how such a case was to be met. For every one of course felt that if the story which Lettice Rodney had told before the borough magistrate was now to be repeated, it would require some very powerful evidence to outweigh that on the other side. Norless was it comprehended that if this story should be proved true, it would have the effect of turning the whole weight of the dreadful accusation against Mrs. Webber, who was now summoned as the principal witness to prove Lettice Rodney’s guilt. Mrs. Webber entered the witness-box amidst a profound silence which prevailed in the court. It has already been observed that there was something sinister, if not actually repulsive, in this woman’s looks, and now that she endeavy- oured to assume the air of one who had nothing upon her own conscience, but was intent only on serving the cause of truth and justice, there was in reality that hardihood about herself which many persons among the auditory had pre- viously supposed to characterize Lettice Rodney. And Lettice Rodney was seen to shudder as that woman, whom for upwards of six months she had not seen, entered the wit- ness-box, but on the other hand, Mrs. Webber flung a look of loathing and abhorrence upon Lettice, — a look in which all her powers of hypocrisy and dissimulation were concen- trated. The result of these conflicting demonstrations on EORNIELIOO KS (EO)