" It was a humble monosyllable, returned without spirit.
"Then of course you've heard of this Murphy?"
"N . . . no, I haven't," answered Bolliver, and let his vacillating eyes
wander to the judge and back.
"You tell that to the marines!" And after half a dozen other tricky
questions: "I put it to you, it's a well-known fact that he's been a
carrier hereabouts for the last couple o' years or more?"
"I don't know--I sup . . . sup-pose so." Bolliver's tongue grew heavy
and tripped up his words.
"And yet you've the cheek, you old rogue you, to insinuate that this was
a put-up job?"
"I . . . I only say what I heard."
"I don't care a button what you heard or didn't hear. What I ask, my
pretty, is do you yourself say so?"
"The . . . the defendant recommended him."
"I put it to you, this man Murphy was one of the best known carriers in
Melbourne, and THAT was why the defendant recommended him--are you out
to deny it?"
"N . . . n . . . no."
"Then you can stand down!" and leaning over to Grindle, who was below
him, counsel whispered with a pleased spread of the hand: "There you
are! that's our case."
There was a painful moment just before Bolliver left the witness-box. As
if become suddenly alive to the sorry figure he had cut, he turned to
the judge with hands clasped, exclaimed: "My Lord, if the case goes
against me, I'm done . . . stony-broke! And the defendant's got a down
on me, my Lord--'e's made up his mind to ruin me.
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