“Did you ever see anybody very like the prisoner?”

Not so like (the witness said) as that he could be mistaken.

“Look well upon that gentleman, my learned friend there,”

pointing to him who had tossed the paper over, “and then look

well upon the prisoner. How say you? Are they very like each

other?”

Allowing for my learned friend’s appearance being careless and

slovenly if not debauched, they were sufficiently like each other to

surprise, not only the witness, but everybody present, when they

were thus brought into comparison. My Lord being prayed to bid

my learned friend lay aside his wig, and giving no very gracious

consent, the likeness became much more remarkable. My Lord

inquired of Mr. Stryver (the prisoner’s counsel), whether they

were next to try Mr. Carton (name of my learned friend) for

treason? But, Mr. Stryver replied to my Lord, no; but he would

ask the witness to tell him whether what happened once, might

Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics

happen twice; whether he would have been so confident if he had

seen this illustration of his rashness sooner, whether he would be

so confident, having seen it; and more. The upshot of which, was,

to smash this witness like a crockery vessel, and shiver his part of

the case to useless lumber.

Mr. Cruncher had by this time taken quite a lunch of rust off his

fingers