additional sum whatever, if no proceedings were taken. This, however,
Mr. Henderson refused, and in his indignation charged Dalton himself
with the crime. Under these circumstances the interview had terminated.

Thus the evidence against Dalton was the forged check, the clerks'
reports concerning the exciting interview with Mr. Henderson, the awful
accusation of the deceased himself, written in his own blood, together
with the Maltese cross, which was believed to belong to Dalton. The
arrest of Dalton had been made at the earliest possible moment; and at
the trial these were the things which were made use of against him by
the prosecution. By energetic efforts discovery was made of a jeweler
who recognized the Maltese cross as his own work, and swore that he had
made it for Frederick Dalton, in accordance with a special design
furnished him by that gentleman. The design had been kept in his
order-book ever since, and was produced by him in court. Thus the
testimony of the jeweler and the order-book served to fix the ownership
of the Maltese cross upon Dalton in such a way that it corroborated and
confirmed all the other testimony.

On the other hand, the defense of Dalton took up all these points. In
the first place, it was shown that in his case there was no conceivable
temptation that could have led to the commission of such a crime. He was
a man of great wealth, possessed of a fine estate, and free from all
pecuniary embarrassments. He was not what was called a sporting man,
and therefore could not have secretly accumulated debts while appearing
rich. It was shown, also, that his character was stainless; that he was
essentially a domestic man, living quietly at Dalton Hall with his wife
and child, and therefore, from his worldly means as well as from his
personal character and surroundings, it was morally impossible for him
to have forged the check.