Such was the form in which the case was left for the jury.
"It's UP," whispered Mr. Weasel behind his hand to Mr. Balais. Mr. Balais nodded indifferently; the case was over so far as he was concerned, and he was not going to employ significant action gratuitously. That would have been waste of power indeed at his age. The jury did not leave the box; they laid their heads together, like a hydra, and "deliberated" for half a minute; that is to say, the foreman whispered, "We can return but one verdict, I should say, gentlemen;" and the eleven answered, "But one."
"We find the prisoner guilty, your lordship."
His lordship nodded approval. "In my opinion, gentlemen, you could not have done otherwise. Hem!" Then that common phrase, "You could have heard a pin drop," might have been used with respect to that vast assemblage. That "hem!" was a very fatal sign with Mr. Justice Bantam, as the bar well knew.
"I'll take you six to five in sovs he gives him seven years," whispered one learned gentleman to another, without moving his lips.
"It seems to me you are rather fond of a good thing," returned the other, scornfully, but with a like precaution.
"Hem!" said the judge again. "Is there any one in court able to give any information concerning the antecedents of the prisoner?"
"We have no witnesses to character, my lud," said Mr. Balais, gravely; "we had hoped it would not have been necessary."
"There _is_ a witness in court, please your lud-ship, a detective of the A division of metropolitan police, I believe," observed Mr. Smoothbore, "who knows something of the prisoner."
Here was an extra excitement--an additional attraction, which had not been advertised in the bills--and the public evinced their satisfaction accordingly by craning and crowding. Richard turned his heated eyes in the direction of this new enemy. He had no hope of seeing a friend. The individual in question was unknown to him. He was a tall, quiet-looking man, whose face might have been carved out of box-wood, it was so hard and serious, but for its keen eyes, which seemed to meet his own with a look of recognition.
"I know the prisoner at the bar; that is to say, I have seen him on a previous occasion, when he passed under the name of Chandos, and on other occasions, as I believe, under other names. From information received I attended a competitive examination, under the authority of government."