And, as much as anyone it was Mr.Taynton who was the recipient of the respectful pity of the British public.

Though no relation he had all his life been a father to Morris, and while Miss Madge Templeton was young and had the spring and elasticity of youth, so that, though all this was indeed terrible enough, she might be expected to get over it, Mr.Taynton was advanced in years and it seemed that he was utterly broken by the shock.

He had not been in Brighton on the day on which Morris was brought before the police-court magistrates, and the news had reached him in London after his young friend had been committed.
It was said he had fainted straight off, and there had been much difficulty in bringing him round.

But since then he had worked day and night on behalf of the accused.

But certain fresh evidence which had turned up a day or two before the Assizes seemed to have taken the heart out of him.