A little
rustle went round the Court as people settled themselves down for
the battle.
The case for Peggy was set forth by the great Jewish barrister,
Manasseh, Q.C. He was famous for his skill in enlisting the
sympathies of the jury from the outset. He drew a moving picture
of the sorrows of Peggy, disowned by her husband's relatives and
the case proceeded so far that he had put the marriage certificate
in evidence when Blake, who had been away for a few minutes rushed
into Court and touched Manasseh on the shoulder, bringing him to
an abrupt stop.
Manasseh asked the Judge to excuse him for a moment while he conferred
with his juniors and Blake. After a short but excited conference
he rose again and--but first we must hear what had happened outside.
While all concerned were in Court listening to Manasseh, Considine
had been smuggled into the witnesses' room and, being bored and
worried, had strayed into the verandah of the Court buildings. He
had been hauled into consultations with barristers, and examined and
badgered and worried to death. The hard Sydney pavements had made
his feet sore. The city ways were not his ways, and the mere mental
effort of catching trains and omnibuses, and keeping appointments,
and having fixed meal-times, was inexpressibly wearing to a man
who had never been tied to time in his life.
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