we two-第97章

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There　were　many　little　pieces　of　kindness　which　served　to　heighten　that　dreary　summer　for　Mr。　Pogson's　ill…advised　zeal　had　stimulated　all　lovers　of　justice　into　a　protest　against　a　most　glaring　instance　of　bigotry　and　unfair　treatment。　　Many　clergymen　spoke　out　bravely　and　denounced　the　defendant's　intolerance；　many　non…conformist　ministers　risked　giving　dire　offense　to　their　congregations　by　saying　a　good　word　for　the　plaintiff。　　Each　protest　did　its　modicum　of　good；　but　still　the　weary　case　dragged　on；　and　every　day　the　bitterness　on　either　side　seemed　to　increase。

Mr。　Pogson　had；　by　fair　means　or　foul；　induced　an　enormous　number　of　witnesses　to　come　forward　and　prove　the　truth　of　his　statement；　and　day　after　day　there　were　the　most　wearisome　references　to　old　diaries；　to　reports　of　meetings　held　in　obscure　places；　perhaps　more　than　a　dozen　years　ago；　or　to　some　hashed　and　mangled　report　of　a　debate　which；　incredible　though　such　meanness　seems；　had　been　specially　constructed　by　some　unscrupulous　opponent　in　such　a　way　as　to　alter　the　entire　meaning　of　Raeburn's　wordsa　process　which　may　very　easily　be　effected　by　a　judicious　omission　of　contexts。　　Raeburn　was　cheered　and　encouraged；　however；　in　spite　of　all　the　thousand　cares　and　annoyances　of　that　time　by　the　rapidly　increasing　number　of　his　followers；　and　by　many　tokens　of　most　touching　devotion　from　the　people　for　whom；　however　mistakenly；　he　had　labored　with　unwearying　patience　and　zeal。　　Erica　saw　only　too　plainly　that　Mr。　Pogson　was；　in　truth；　fighting　against　Christianity；　and　every　day　brought　fresh　proofs　of　the　injury　done　to　Christ's　cause　by　this　modern　instance　of　injustice　and　religious　intolerance。

It　was　a　terribly　trying　position；　and　any　one　a　degree　less　brave　and　sincere　would　probably　have　lost　all　faith；　but　the　one　visible　good　effected　by　that　miserable　struggle　was　the　strange　influence　it　exerted　in　developing　her　character。　　She　was　one　of　those　who　seem　to　grow　exactly　in　proportion　to　the　trouble　they　have　had　to　bear。　　And　so　it　came　to　pass　that；　while　evil　was　wrought　in　many　quarters；　in　this　one　good　resulted　good　not　in　the　least　understood　by　Raeburn；　or　Aunt　Jean；　or　Tom；　who　merely　knew　that　Erica　was　less　hot　and　hasty　than　in　former　times；　and　found　it　more　of　a　relief　than　ever　to　come　home　to　her　loving　sympathy。

〃After　all；〃　they　used　to　say；　〃the　miserable　delusion　hasn't　been　able　to　spoil　her。〃

One　day；　just　after　the　court　had　reassembled　in　the　afternoon；　Erica　was　putting　the　finishing　touches　to　a　very　sprightly　criticism　on　a　certain　political　speech；　when　suddenly　she　heard　the　name；　for　which　she　had　waited　so　long；　called　in　the　clerk's　most　sonorous　tones　〃Erica　Raeburn！〃

She　was　conscious　of　a　sudden　white　flash　as　every　face　in　the　crowded　court　turned　towards　her；　but　more　conscious　of　a　strong　Presence　which　seemed　to　wrap　her　in　a　calm　so　perfect　that　the　disagreeable　surroundings　became　a　matter　of　very　slight　import。　　Here　were　hostile　eyes；　indeed；　but　she　was　strong　enough　to　face　all　the　powers　of　evil　at　once。　　A　sort　of　murmur　ran　through　the　court　as　she　entered　the　witness　box；　but　she　did　not　heed　it　any　more　than　she　would　have　heeded　the　murmur　of　the　summer　wind　without。　　She　just　stood　there；　strong　in　her　truth　and　purity；　able；　if　need　be；　to　set　a　whole　world　at　defiance。

〃Pogson's　made　a　mistake　in　calling　her；〃　said　a　briefless　barrister　to　one　of　his　companions　in　adversity；　they　both　spent　their　lives　in　hanging　about　the　courts；　thankful　when　they　could　get　a　bit　of　〃deviling。〃

〃Right　you　are！〃　replied　the　other；　putting　up　his　eyeglass　to　look　at　Erica；　and　letting　it　drop　after　a　brief　survey。　　〃I'd　bet　twenty　to　one　that　girl　loses　him　his　case。　　And　I'm　hanged　if　he　doesn't　deserve　to。〃

〃Well；　it　is　rather　a　brutal　thing　to　make　a　man's　own　child　give　evidence　against　him。　　Halloo！　　Just　look　at　Raeburn！　　That　man's　either　a　consummate　actor；　or　else　a　living　impersonation　of　righteous　anger。〃

〃No　acting　there；〃　replied　the　other；　putting　up　his　eyeglass　again。　　〃It's　lucky　dueling　is　a　thing　of　the　past　or　I　expect　Pogson　would　have　a　bullet　in　his　heart　before　the　day　was　over。　　I　don't　wonder　he's　furious；　poor　fellow！　　Now；　then　here's　old　Cringer　working　himself　up　into　his　very　worst　temper！〃

The　whispered　dialogue　was　interrupted　for　a　few　minutes　but　was　continued　at　intervals。

〃By　Jove；　what　a　voice　she's　got！　　The　jury　will　be　flints　if　they　are　not　influenced　by　it。　　Ah；　you　great　brute！　　I　wouldn't　have　asked　her　that　question　for　a　thousand　pounds！　　How　lovely　she　looks　when　she　blushes！　　He'll　confuse　her；　though；　as　sure　as　fate。　　No；　not　a　bit　of　it！　　That　was　dignified；　wasn't　it？　　How　the　words　rang；　'Of　course　not！'　　I　say；　Jack；　this　will　be　as　good　as　a　lesson　in　elocution　for　us！〃

〃Raeburn　looks　up　at　that　for　the　first　time。　　Well；　poor　devil！　　However　much　baited；　he　can；　at　any　rate；　feel　proud　of　his　daughter。〃

Then　came　a　long　pause。　　For　the　fire　of　questions　was　so　sharp　that　the　two　would　not　break　the　thread　by　speaking。　　Once　or　twice　some　particularly　irritating　question　was　ruled　by　the　judge　to　be　inadmissible；　upon　which　Mr。　Cringer　looked；　in　a　hesitatingly　courteous　manner；　toward　him；　and　obeyed　orders　with　a　smiling　deference；　then；　facing　round　upon　Erica；　with　a　little　additional　venom；　he　visited　his　annoyance　upon　her　by　exerting　all　his　unrivaled　skill　in　endeavoring　to　make　her　contradict　herself。

〃You'll　make　nothing　of　this　one；　Cringer；〃　one　of　his　friends　had　said　to　him　at　the　beginning　of　Erica's　evidence。　　And　he　had　smiled　confidently　by　way　of　reply。　　All　the　more　was　he　now　determined　not　to　be　worsted　by　a　young　girl　whom　he　ought　to　be　able　to　put　out　of　countenance　in　ten　minutes。

The　result　of　this　was　that；　in　the　words　of　the　newspaper　reports；　〃the　witness's　evidence　was　not　concluded　when　the　court　rose。〃　　This　was　perhaps　the　greatest　part　of　the　trial　to　Erica。　　She　had　hoped；　not　only　for　her　own；　but　for　her　father's　sake；　that　her　evidence　might　all　be　taken　in　one　day；　and　Mr。　Cringer；　while　really　harming　his　own　cause　by　prolonging　her　evidence；　inflicted　no　slight　punishment　on　the　most　troublesome　witness　he　had　ever　had　to　deal　with。

The　next　morning　it　all　came　over　again　with　increased　disagreeableness。

〃Erica　always　was　the　plucky　one；〃　said　Tom　to　his　mother　as　they　watched　her　enter　the　witness　box。　　〃She　always　did　the　confessing　when　we　got　into　scrapes。　　I　only　hope　that　brute　of　a　Cringer　won't　put　her　out　of　countenance。〃

He　need　not　have　feared；　though　in　truth　Erica　was　tried　to　the　utmost。　　To　begin　with；　it　was　one　of　the　very　hottest　of　the　dog…days；　and　the　court　was　crowded　to　suffocation。　　This　was　what　the　public　considered　the　most　interesting　day　of　the　trial　for　it　was　the　most　personal　one；　and　the　English　have　as　great　a　taste　for　personalities　as　the　Americans　though　it　is　not　so　constantly　gratified。　　Apparently　Mr。　Cringer；　being　a　shrewd　man；　had　managed　in　the　night　watches　to　calculate　Erica's　one　vulnerable　point。　　She　was　fatally　clear…headed；　most　aggravatingly　and　palpably　truthful；　most　unfortunately　fascinating；　and；　though　naturally　quick…tempered；　most　annoyingly　self…controlled。　　But　she　was　evidently　delicate。　　If　he　could　sufficiently　harass　and　tire　her；　he　might　make　her　say　pretty　much　what　he　pleased。

This；　at　least；　was　the　conclusion　at　which　he　had　arrived。　　And　if　it　was　indeed　his　duty　to　the　defendant　to　exhaust　both　fair　means　and　foul　in　the　endeavor　to　win　him　his　case；　then　he　certainly　fulfilled　his　duty。　　For　six　long　hours；　with　only　a　brief　interval　for　luncheon；　Erica　was　baited；　badgered；　tormented　with　questions　which　in　themselves　were　insults；　assured　that　she　had　said　what　she　had　not　said；　tempted　to　say　what　she　did　not　mean；　involved　in　fruitless　discussions　about　places　and　dates　and；　in　fact；　so　thoroughly　tortured；　that　most　girls　would　long　before　have　succumbed。　　She　did　not　succumb；　but　she　grew　whiter　and　whiter　save　when　some　vile　insinuation　brought　a　momentary　wave　of　crimson　across　her　face。

Tom　listened　breathlessly　to　the　examination　which　went　on　in　a　constant　crescendo　of　bitterness