“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 in his following of the evidence. He had now to attend
while Mr. Stryver fitted the prisoner’s case on the jury, like a
compact suit of clothes; showing them how the patriot, Barsad,
was a hired spy and traitor, an unblushing trafficker in blood, and
one of the greatest s