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they fought and kicked! A maddened herd of buffaloes could not have behaved more desperately. On streamed the white wave of wigs, bearing the strong men who held the door before them like wreckage on a breaker. On they came, and in forty seconds the court was crowded to its utmost capacity, and still there were hundreds of white-wigged men behind. It was a fearful scene.

"Good gracious!" thought Augusta to herself, "how on earth do they all get a living?" a question that many of them would have found it hard enough to

answer.

Then suddenly an old gentleman near her, whom she discovered to be the usher, jumped up and called "Silence!" in commanding accents, without producing much effect, however, on the palpitating mass of humanity in front. Then in came the officers of the Court; and a moment afterwards everybody rose as the Judge entered, and looking, as Augusta thought, very cross when he saw the crowded condition of the court, bowed to the Bar and took his seat.

CHAPTER XX

JAMES BREAKS DOWN

THE Registrar, not Augusta's dear Doctor Probate, but another Registrar, rose and called on the case of Meeson v. Addison and Another, and in an instant the wretched James Short was on his legs to open the case.

"What is that gentleman's name?" Augusta heard the Judge ask of the clerk, after making two or three frantic efforts to attract his attention-a proceeding that the position of his desk rendered very difficult.

"Short, my Lord."

"Do you appear alone for the plaintiff, Mr. Short?" asked the Judge, with emphasis.

"Yes, my Lord; I do," answered James, and as he said it every pair of eyes in that crowded assembly fixed themselves upon him, and a sort of audible smile seemed to run round the court. The thing not unnaturally struck the professional mind as ludicrous and without precedent.

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And who appears for the defendants ?"

"I understand, my Lord," said the learned AttorneyGeneral, "that all my learned friends on these two benches appear, together with myself, for one or other of the defendants, or are watching the case in the interest of legatees."

Here a decided titter interrupted him.

"I may add that the interests involved in this case are very large indeed, which accounts for the number of counsel connected in one way or other with the defence."

"Quite so, Mr. Attorney," said the Judge; "but, really, the forces seem a little out of proportion. Of course the matter is not one in which the Court can interfere."

"If your Lordship will allow me," said James, "the only reason that the plaintiff is so poorly represented is that the funds to brief other counsel were, I understand, not forthcoming. I am, however, well versed in the case, and, with your Lordship's permission, will do my best with it."

"Very well, Mr. Short," said the learned Judge, looking at him almost with pity; "state your case."

James, in the midst of a silence that could be felt -unfolded his pleadings, and, as he did so, for the first time a sickening sense of nervousness took hold

of him and made him tremble, and, of a sudden, his mind became dark. Most of us have undergone this sensation at one time or another, with less cause than had poor James. There he was, almost without experience, put up to conduct, single-handed, a very important case, upon which it was scarcely too much to say the interest of the entire country was concentrated. Nor was this all. Opposed to him were about twenty counsel, all of them men of standing, and including in their ranks some of the most famous leaders in England; and, moreover, the court was densely crowded with scores of men of his own profession, all of whom, he felt, were regarding him with curiosity not unmixed with pity. Then there was the tremendous responsibility, which literally seemed to crush him, though he had never quite realised it till this moment.

'May it please your Lordship," he began; and then, as has been said, his mind became a ghastly blank, in which dim and formless ideas flitted vaguely to and fro.

There was a pause-a painful pause.

"Read your pleadings aloud," whispered a barrister who was sitting next him and realised his plight.

This was an idea. One can read pleadings when one cannot collect ideas to speak. It is not usual to

do so. The counsel in a cause states the substance of the pleadings, leaving the Court to refer to them if it thinks necessary. But still there is nothing absolutely wrong about it; so he snatched at the papers, and promptly began:

“(I.) The plaintiff is the sole and universal legatee under the true last will of Jonathan Meeson, deceased, late of Pompadour Hall, in the county of Warwick, who died on the 23rd of December 1885, the said will being undated, but duly executed on, or subsequent to, the 22nd day of December 1885."

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Here the learned Judge lifted his eyebrows in remonstrance, and cleared his throat preparatory to interfering; but apparently thought better of it, for he took up a blue pencil and made a note of the date of the will.

"(II.),'" went on James. "On the 21st day of May 1886, probate of an alleged will of the said Jonathan Meeson was granted to the defendants, the said will bearing date the 10th day of November 1885. "The plaintiff claims—

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(1.) That the Court shall revoke probate of the said alleged will of the said Jonathan Meeson, bearing date the 10th day of November 1885, granted to the defendants on the 21st day of May 1886.

"(2.) A grant of letters of administration to the

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