could waste no more time on this miserable business, he rose and left
the court. Evidently the barrister to whom he was talking had observed
to what this change of demeanour was due, for he looked first at me in
the dock and next at Sir John Bell as, recovering his pomposity, he made
his way through the crowd. 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