She'd been imposed on Mr.Casti and his wife as a respectable character, and she was causing trouble between them.

She had to be got rid of somehow, and this was one step to it." "Was Mrs.Casti aware of your intention to take this step ?" "No, she wasn't." "But you told her when you had done it ?" "Yes, I did." The frankness of all this had its effect, of course.

The case was attracting much interest in court, and the public seats were quite full.

Mrs.Sprowl looked round in evident enjoyment of her position.
There was a slight pause, and then the examination continued.
"Of what nature was the trouble you speak of, caused by the prisoner between this lady and her husband ?" "Mr.Casti began to pay a good deal too much attention to her." There was a sound of whispers and a murmuring.
"Did Mrs.Casti impart to you her suspicions of the prisoner as soon as she missed the first of these articles alleged to be stolen ?" "Yes, she did." "And did you give any advice as to how she should proceed ?" "I told her to be on the look-out." "No doubt you laid stress on the advantage, from a domestic point of view, of securing this prisoner's detection ?" "Certainly I did, and I hoped and prayed as she might caught!" Mrs.Sprowl was very shortly allowed to retire.

For the defence there was but one witness, and that was the laundress who had employed Ida.
Personal fault with Ida she had one at all to find; the sole cause of her dismissal was the information given by Mrs.Sprowl.Perhaps she had acted hastily and unkindly, but she had young girls working in the laundry, and it behoved her to be careful of them.
Julian's part in the trial had been limited to an examination as to his knowledge of Ida's alleged thefts.