"I must ask counsel to put questions which have some relevance even to
his own line of defence," remarked the judge sternly. "This is not a
corner grocery."
Burlingame bowed. He had had a facer, but he had also shown the witness
to have been living under an assumed name. That was a good start. He
hoped to add to the discredit. He had absolutely no knowledge of
Crozier's origin and past; but he was in a position to find it out if
Crozier told the truth on oath, and he was sure he would.
"Where was your domicile in the old country?" Burlingame asked.
"In County Kerry--with a flat in London."
"An estate in County Kerry?"
"A house and two thousand acres."
"Is it your property still?"
"It is not."
"You sold it?"
"No."
"If you did not sell, how is it that you do not own it?"
"It was sold for me--in spite of me."
The judge smiled, the people smiled, the jury smiled. Truly, though a
life-history was being exposed with incredible slowness--"like pulling
teeth," as the Young Doctor said--it was being touched off with laughter.
"You were in debt?"
"Quite."
"How did you get into debt?"
"By spending more than my income."
If Askatoon had been proud of its legal talent in the past it had now
reason for revising its opinion. Burlingame was frittering away the
effect of his inquiry by elaboration of details. What he gained by the
main startling fact he lost in the details by which the witness scored.
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