THE TRIAL. 105

the jury about that call, and what took place
between you?’

‘‘¢ He brought some spoons, which he said
he wanted to sell me. There were half a
dozen of them. They were bruised, and
broken, and battered, and they looked as if
the marks had been scraped off. I asked
him how they came in that condition, and
he said that they were some that had got
spoiled in his house ; that he had two dozen
in all, and that this half-dozen had got
broken and spoiled by his children, and now
he wanted to sell them.

“*T thought that story was not very prob-
able, and in fact, I concluded that such a man
as he, would not be very likely to have
any silver spoons at all, unless he came by
them dishonestly. So I told him I would
take one of them into my back shop, and
see how good silver it was; and there I sent
off one of my workmen for an officer. The
officer came and arrested the man, and then
when we questioned him, he contradicted
himself so much, that we took him before
&@ magistrate, and had him committed to
prison.’

“* And what became of the spoons?’