He dined with us last night--he and Walter--and his manner was gloomy in the extreme.

After dinner Walter took him apart with me and asked him what he really thought of the case.
He was most pessimistic.

'My dear sir,' he said, 'the only advice I can give you is that you prepare yourself to contemplate disaster as philosophically as you can.

In my opinion your cousin is almost certain to be convicted.' 'But,' said Walter, 'what about the defence?
I understood that there was at least a plausible case.' Mr.Lawley shrugged his shoulders.

'I have a sort of _alibi_ that will go for nothing, but I have no evidence to offer in answer to that of the prosecution, and no case; and I may say, speaking in confidence, that I do not believe there is any case.