Then he grew reflective, and pushing his wig back from his forehead he stared at the ceiling and whistled to himself softly.
It was very evident that the jury found a difficulty in making up their minds, for minute after minute went by and still they did not return.
Indeed, they must have been absent quite an hour and a half when suddenly the superintendent of police removed the chair which he had given me and informed me that "they" were coming.
With a curious and impersonal emotion, as a man might consider a case in which he had no immediate concern, I studied their faces while one by one they filed into the box.

The anxiety had been so great and so prolonged that I rejoiced it was at length coming to its end, whatever that end might be.
The judge having returned to his seat on the bench, in the midst of the most intense silence the clerk asked the jury whether they found the prisoner guilty or not guilty.

Rising to his feet, the foreman, a dapper little man with a rapid utterance, said, or rather read from a piece of paper, "_Not guilty_, but we hope that in future Dr.Therne will be more careful about conveying infection." "That is a most improper verdict," broke in the judge with irritation, "for it acquits the accused and yet implies that he is guilty.

Dr.
Therne, you are discharged.

I repeat that I regret that the jury should have thought fit to add a very uncalled-for rider to their verdict." I left the dock and pushed my way through the crowd.