From that moment he began to exercise a furtive influence over
the jury. Even the foreman looked at him, on resuming the
narrative.

"After a certain term of service, gentlemen, during which we
learn nothing to his disadvantage, the prisoner's merits appear
to have received their reward. He was presented with a share in
the ship which he commanded, in addition to his regular salary as
master. With these improved prospects he sailed from Liverpool on
his last voyage to Brazil; and no one, his wife included, had the
faintest suspicion that he left England under circumstances of
serious pecuniary embarrassment. The testimony of his creditors,
and of other persons with whom he associated distinctly proves
that his leisure hours on shore had been employed in card-playing
and in betting on horse races. After an unusually long run of
luck, his good fortune seems to have deserted him. He suffered
considerable losses, and was at last driven to borrowing at a
high rate of interest, without any reasonable prospect of being
able to repay the money-lenders into whose hands he had fallen.
When he left Rio on the homeward voyage, there is no sort of
doubt that he was returning to England to face creditors whom he
was unable to pay. There, gentlemen, is a noticeable side to his
character which we may call the gambling side, and which (as I
think) was too leniently viewed by the judge."

He evidently intended to add a word or two more. But the
disagreeable invalid insisted on being heard.

"In plain English," he said, "you are for finding the prisoner
guilty."