第145章 Raeburn v.Pogson (4)

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 words--a 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.