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I stood there in the dock listening, and wondering what possible evidence could be adduced against me in support of such a charge. After the formal witnesses, relations and doctors, who testified to my being called in to attend on Lady Colford, to the course of the illness and the cause of death, etc., Sir John Bell was called.
Now the excitement grew intense, for if the run held in two more votes I should tie. Every eye was fixed upon the counter's hand. To the right and left of him on the table were two little piles of voting papers. The pile to the right was the property of Colford, the pile to the left was sacred to Therne.
To this letter I received a reply by hand, scrawled upon half a sheet of notepaper. It ran: "Sir Thomas Colford is surprised that Dr. Therne should think it worth while to add falsehood to murder." Then, for the first time, I understood in what light my terrible misfortune was regarded by the public.
"That is a most improper verdict," broke in the judge with irritation, "for it acquits the accused and yet implies that he is guilty. Dr. Therne, you are discharged. I repeat that I regret that the jury should have thought fit to add a very uncalled-for rider to their verdict." I left the dock and pushed my way through the crowd. Outside the court-house I came face to face with Sir Thomas Colford.
Therne professed the doctrine of anti-vaccination, of which he was so ardent an upholder that, although on several occasions he had been threatened with prosecution, he declined to allow his only child to be vaccinated. In the same issues it was announced that the Conservative candidate would be Sir Thomas Colford. So the die was cast. I had crossed the Rubicon.
"Don't talk like that, man," answered Sir John, "she has a capital constitution, and, I daresay, we shall pull her through." "You don't understand. I have been attending Lady Colford, going straight from Emma's room to her." Sir John whistled. "Oh, indeed. Certainly, that's awkward.
Indeed, I remember that she was rather put out because I had not already mastered the books and pamphlets which she had given me. In the end, notwithstanding the weariness of her feeble folly, I returned home in much better spirits. For the next month or two nothing of note happened to me, except indeed that the action for damages brought against me by Sir Thomas Colford was suddenly withdrawn.
"Now," I thought to myself, "this farce will come to an end, for Bell will explain the facts." The counsel for the prosecution began by asking Sir John various questions concerning the terrible malady known as puerperal fever, and especially with reference to its contagiousness. Then he passed on to the events of the day when I was called in to attend upon Lady Colford.
Now the statement made by me before the magistrates had been put in evidence, and in it I said that the tale was an absolute invention on the part of Sir John Bell, and that when I went to see Lady Colford I had no knowledge whatsoever that my wife was suffering from an infectious ailment.
Under these circumstances it is not to be wondered at that in choosing a candidate the majority of the electors of the city were apt to ask two leading questions: first, Is he rich? and secondly, What will he do for the town if he gets in? Now, Sir Thomas Colford was very rich, and it was whispered that if he were elected he would be prepared to show his gratitude in a substantial fashion.
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