and before the officers approached to separate the prisoners, Rachel arose at her husband's bidding, and stood quietly and meekly at his side.
John Dodd, the first witness examined, contrived to throw into his story the confusion of his own ideas. Harriet Lynn came next, and was just as remarkable for the simplicity and clearness of her answers. Still, their evidence only proved the fact of the murder, not by whom it had been committed.
The fearless make their own way—and the male prisoner's bold bearing was not without its effect. The tide of opinion turned rapidly in his favour; people began to think that a man might have a profusion of black elf-like locks and a ferocious expression of countenance, and yet not be an actual murderer.
But we must go back to a period a little previous to the trial.
Among the barristers who went the northern circuit was a Mr. Harvey, as shrewd a counsel as had ever merged a life-time in law, save a few youthful reminiscences, which his compeers called folly, but to which, nevertheless, they themselves turned with great satisfaction. Mr. Harvey's birthplace was within a few miles of Newcastle, where he always arrived one day before the assizes commenced; which day was as invariably spent in riding about the country, visiting all his boyish haunts, and ended by a dinner with two or three old friends, at the same inn, where he had now regularly dined
