The Two Sides of the Shield Part 51

'Explain in what manner?'

'There has 'ty' been put at the end of the written 'seven,' and a cipher after the figure 7 making it 70.'

'You are sure that it was not so when it went out of your possession?'

'Perfectly sure.'

Mr. Calderwood seemed to have done with her, and said, 'Thank you;' but then there stood up a barrister, whom she suspected of being a man her mother had disliked, and she knew that the worst was coming when he said, in a specially polite voice too, 'Allow me to ask whether the cheque in question had been intended by Mr. Mohun for the prisoner?'

'No.'

'Or was it given to you as pocket-money?'

'No, it was to pay a bill.'

'Then did you divert it from that purpose?'

'I thought the man was dead.'

'What man?'

'Professor Muhlwa.s.ser.'

'The creditor?'

'Yes.'

Mr. Calderwood objected to these questions as irrelevant; but the prisoner's counsel declared them to be essential, and the judge let him go on to extract from Dolores that the payment was intended for an expensive ill.u.s.trated work on natural history, which was to be published in Germany. Her father had promised to take two copies of it if it were completed; but being doubtful whether this would ever be the case, he had preferred leaving a draft with her to letting the account be discharged by his brother, and he had reckoned that seven pounds would cover the expense.

'You say you supposed the author was dead. What reason had you for thinking so?'

'He told me; Mr. Flinders did.'

'Had Mr. Mohun sanctioned your applying this sum to any other purpose than that specified?'

'No, he had not. I did wrong,' said Dolores, firmly.

He wrinkled up his forehead, so that the point of his wig went upwards, and proceeded to inquire whether she had herself given the cheque to the prisoner.

'I sent it.'

'Did you post it?'

'Not myself. I gave it to Miss Constance Hacket to send it for me.'

'Can you swear to the sum for which it was drawn when you parted with it?'

'Yes. I looked at it to see whether it was pounds or guineas.'

'Did you give it loose or in an envelope?'

'In an envelope.'

'Was any other person aware of your doing so?'

'n.o.body.'

'What led you to make this advance to the prisoner?'

'Because he told me that he was in great distress.'

'He told you. By letter or in person?'

'In person.'

'When did he tell you so?'

'On the 22nd of December.'

'And where?'

'At Darminster.'

'Let me ask whether this interview at Darminster took place with the knowledge of the lady with whom you reside?'

'No, it did not,' said Dolores, colouring deeply.

'Was it a chance meeting?'

'No--by appointment.'

'How was the appointment made?'

'We wrote to say we would come that day.'

'We--who was the other party?'

'Miss Constance Hacket.'

'You were then in correspondence with the prisoner. Was it with the sanction of Lady Merrifield?'

'No.'

'A secret correspondence, then, romantically carried on--by what means?'

'Constance Hacket sent the letters and received them for me.'

'What was the motive for this arrangement?'