But it was not so
masterly as the defendant's; and the suit was dismissed. In the light
of common sense, the defendant hadn't a leg to stand on. Technically,
his case was proved. I doubt whether I shall ever have a day of such
acute mental enjoyment as was the day of that cross-examination.
I suppose that the most famous cross-examination in our day was Sir
Charles Russell's of Pigott. It outstands by reason of the magnitude
of the issue, and the flight and suicide of the witness. Had Pigott
been of the stuff to stand up to Russell, and make a fight of it, I
should regret far more keenly than I do that I was not in court. As it
is, my regret is keen enough. I was reading again, only the other day,
the verbatim report of Pigott's evidence, in one of the series of
little paper volumes published by The Times; and I was revelling again
in the large perfection with which Russell accomplished his too easy
task. Especially was I amazed to find how vividly Russell, as I
remember him, lived again, and could be seen and heard, through the
medium of that little paper volume. It was not merely as though I had
been in court, and were now recalling the inflections of that deep,
intimidating voice, the steadfast gaze of those dark, intimidating
eyes, and were remembering just at what points the snuff-box was
produced, and just how long the pause was before the pinch was taken
and the bandana came into play.
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