94 THE TRIAL.

coming out; but before long a great crowd
came pouring out together, and so I knew
the court had risen. The people went
away in different directions, though a con-
siderable number of them came across the
common, towards the tavern. At the same
time I heard a bustle in the house behind
me, and looking in at the entry, L saw them
carrying in the dinner, and going busily to
and fro.

“A minute or two after these people
reached the house, a bell rang in the entry,
and we all went in to dinner. The dinner-
table was very long. I never saw such a
long dinner-table. It reached through two
rooms, with great double doors between
them, which were opéned-so as to throw the
two rooms into one. I went in with the rest,
and took my seat. As I did not know any
body there, I did not talk much, but listened
to hear what the rest said. I could not
understand very well what they were talk-
ing about all the time; but just before the
dinner was ended, one man opposite to me
asked another man, whom he called Mr.
Sparr, whether there was not a criminal case
coming on that afternoon. Mr. Sparr said