The judge and jury, however, were there, so were the prosecuting counsel, so were Mr.Chaffanbrass and Mr.
Younglad, and so was poor Alaric.

The work of the day was commenced by the judge's charge, and then Alaric, to his infinite dismay, found how all the sophistry and laboured arguments of his very talented advocate were blown to the winds, and shown to be worthless.

'Gentlemen,' said the judge to the jurors, after he had gone through all the evidence, and told them what was admissible, and what was not--'gentlemen, I must especially remind you, that in coming to a verdict in the matter, no amount of guilt on the part of any other person can render guiltless him whom you are now trying, or palliate his guilt if he be guilty.
An endeavour has been made to affix a deep stigma on one of the witnesses who has been examined before you; and to induce you to feel, rather than to think, that Mr.Tudor is, at any rate, comparatively innocent--innocent as compared with that gentleman.
That is not the issue which you are called on to decide; not whether Mr.Scott, for purposes of his own, led Mr.Tudor on to guilt, and then turned against him; but whether Mr.Tudor himself has, or has not, been guilty under this Act of Parliament that has been explained to you.
'As regards the evidence of Mr.Scott, I am justified in telling you, that if the prisoner's guilt depended in any way on that evidence, it would be your duty to receive it with the most extreme caution, and to reject it altogether if not corroborated.
That evidence was not trustworthy, and in a great measure justified the treatment which the witness encountered from the learned barrister who examined him.

But Mr.Scott was a witness for the defence, not for the prosecution.

The case for the prosecution in no way hangs on his evidence.
'If it be your opinion that Mr.Tudor is guilty, and that he was unwarily enticed into guilt by Mr.Scott; that the whole arrangement of this trust was brought about by Mr.Scott or others, to enable him or them to make a cat's-paw of this new trustee, and thus use the lady's money for their own purposes, such an opinion on your part may justify you in recommending the prisoner to the merciful consideration of the bench; but it cannot justify you in finding a verdict of not guilty.' As Alaric heard this, and much more to the same effect, his hopes, which certainly had been high during the examination of Undy Scott, again sank to zero, and left him in despair.