I realised this even while I held Ella's eye with mine and smoothed my countenance to meet the anguish in hers, in the effort to hold her back for a few minutes longer till I could quite satisfy myself that Arthur's case was really lost and that I must speak or feel myself his murderer.
The gloom which followed this recognition of his inability, real or fancied, to explain away the most damning feature of the case against him, taken with his own contradictions and growing despondency, could not escape my eye, accustomed as I was to the habitual expression of most every person there.

But it was not yet the impenetrable gloom presaging conviction; and directing Ella's gaze towards Mr.Moffat, who seemed but little disturbed either by Mr.Fox's satisfaction or the prisoner's open despair, I took heart of grace and waited for the district attorney's next move.

It was a fatal one.

I began to recognise this very soon, simple as was the subject he now introduced.
"When you went into the kitchen, Mr.Cumberland, to get the stable-door key, was the gas lit, or did you have to light it ?" "It--it was lit, I think." "Don't you know ?" "It was lit, but turned low.

I could see well enough." "Why, then, didn't you take both keys ?" "Both keys ?" "You have said you went down town by the short cut through your neighbour's yard.