Explore "Queen of Hearts" by Fred M. White on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
As a general rule, cases before the Court of Criminal Appeal do not excite much interest, became they are usually a forlorn hope on the part of some unfortunate prisoner that something may turn up in his favour at the eleventh hour. But in the matter of Gilchrist public curiosity had been stipulated by various rumours which had somehow got abroad, so that when the three judges took their seats, the space available to the sensation-mongers was filled almost beyond capacity.
The proceedings opened quietly enough. Lyttleton arose to address the Bench, and proceeded to outline the case, so far as it had gone. It was only when he hinted of fresh evidence bearing on the crime and, quite apart from the usual dry legal arguments, that the listeners were conscious of the first thrill in an entirely new and original drama.