Sir Frederic got up at once and said that since the
publication of the numbers of those notes, information had reached him
which forced him to withdraw from the case. Great sensation, of course.
I left Bromley in charge. There'll be a formal verdict for the
defendant, with costs. Have you told Dancy?
TWISDEN. Yes. He's in there deciding what he'll do.
CANYNGE. [Grave and vexed] This is a dreadful thing, Twisden. I've
been afraid of it all along. A soldier! A gallant fellow, too. What on
earth got into him?
TWISDEN. There's no end to human nature, General.
GRAVITER. You can see queerer things in the papers, any day.
CANYNGE. That poor young wife of his! WINSOR gave me a message for you,
Twisden. If money's wanted quickly to save proceedings, draw on him.
Is there anything I can do?
TWISDEN. I've advised him to go straight off to Morocco.
CANYNGE. I don't know that an asylum isn't the place for him. He must
be off his head at moments. That jump-crazy! He'd have got a verdict on
that alone--if they'd seen those balconies. I was looking at them when I
was down there last Sunday. Daring thing, Twisden. Very few men, on a
dark night--He risked his life twice.
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