Bridlington and Quay Gazette. — 1877-06-23 (Bridlington, Humberside, England)

CHAPTER X.XVI.  We are  I knew I should commit murder or something of the kind,' growled Harry, 'if I came hither to night; and I don't care a fig if I've done it. For God's sake Tom, get May out of her trance, and let us take her home, for I won't let her be experimented upon any further, let what will come of it.' 'We none of us wish it. We are quite convinced, and I am sure we are all of us of opinion that, broken neck or no broken neck, you served that cad Tracy exactly as he deserved,' said a young physic,au, who had already attained to a most aristocratic practice at Laosclown.  .Yes, egad, that we do,' echoed a second. 'And I am sure one and all wol.gladly. hear  tely testimony at the trial on your wile's behalf,' half said Mr. Burton the leading magistrate, shaking Harry by the hand. and 'Thank you gentlemen,' said Seaborne. 'I I"7e -heartily thank you, I am sure, as would my dear wife, were she only conscious. Tom how are you getting on right old fe"ow. Didn't you hear her 6 .oau _ .  'No; groan, why does she groan?' 'She begins to feel her hand and her arm pain her—a sure sign of returning consciousness, she will be all right directly. I must not awaken her too suddenly: some danger might attend tuch a course.' 'Oh dear, I wish I hadn't subjected her to such cruel tests,' exclaimed Harry, glancing remorsefully at the spot of blood on May's white hand, and the deep though small burn that disfigured her beautiful arm, and from thence allowing his gaze to wander to the snowy breast that had begun to pant with returning consciousness and dawning pain. 'You need not wish any such thing, Seaboiae,' said Tom Barclay, 'for those tests have preserved her honour and re-won her the esteem of all sensible people. Doctor Talbot, I will leave her in your care now, and bring in a witness who, with all due respect to the gentlemen present, will be worth any half dozen of them put together.' He rushed out of the box, and was absent nearly quarter of an hour. When he returned he supported on his arm a very beautril and atistocratic looking woman whom he at once led to a chair. 'The Countess of Chepstow,' exclaimed every one, falling back and bowing profoundly. 'Yes, gentlemen, the Countess herself,' said Tom Barclay, 'who with wonderful kindness and condescension—at my bare request—a perfect stranger to her Grace—consented not only to enact a part, but to be really mesmerised by me, in order that I might be the better able to convince her and others of Mrs. Seaborne's a.ol innocence of the charge brought against her. —l, Her Grace has expressed herself perfectly ~..i ,iiti,iir•il that on the night of the jewel robbery -he woo iirst mesmerised by Mr. Seaborne's companion, ana that then Miss May Mortimer ~. was iii lin o inesiii-ri,sil by him, and in that ; statv fo c(:d to steal der diainond necklet. Do i I not express your Grace's opinion?' ' Perfectly,' said the Countess. 'I plainly remember how on the evening in question the eyes of a dark fierce looking man sitting in his box were fixed upon me during the entire first r,ct of the comedy that was being performed, and that 'twas they instead of an ordinal/ fainting fit that cast use into a kind of stupor directly the curtain fell, and I happened to glance straight at them. When I opened my eyes upon regaining consciousness / saw that young lady's looking down into mine with a fixed and stony glare such as I shall never forget, and although she spoke words of kindness to me and seemed to be doing all she could to bring me round, the expression of her face never changed, To be continued.