He was not a great believer in the
defence of insanity--except, occasionally, that of the solicitor
who set it up--and consequently watched the Vicar with scrutinizing
intensity.
"Have you finished with your witness, Mr. Woollet?" his lordship
inquired.
"Yes, my lord."
Maule then took him in hand, and after looking at him steadfastly for
about a minute, said,--
"You say, sir, that you have been Vicar of this parish for
_four-and-thirty years_?"
"Yes, my lord."
"And during that time I dare say you have regularly performed the
services of the Church?"
"Yes, my lord."
"Did you have week-day services as well?"
"Every Tuesday, my lord."
"And did you preach your own sermons?"
"With an occasional homily of the Church."
"Your own sermon or discourse, with an occasional homily? And was this
poor man a regular attendant at all your services during the whole
time you have been Vicar?"
"Until he killed his wife, my lord."
"That follows--I mean up to the time of this Sabbath-breaking you
spoke of he regularly attended your ministrations, and then killed his
wife?"
"Exactly, my lord."
"Never missed the sermon, discourse, or homily of the Church, Sunday
or week-day?"
"That is so, my lord."
"Did you write your own sermons, may I ask?"
"Oh yes, my lord."
Maule carefully wrote down all that our witness said, and I began to
think the defence of insanity stood on very fair grounds, especially
when I perceived that Maule was making some arithmetical calculations.
Pages:
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54