, 1884-12-31

ttt'N -A4H IA - L0hAF 1At
swom- The absurd proclamation aapiSst
vic aud immortality is read much good may
II do every ons PRESENT. Then the clerk sits
down, and the judge, forsaking bis papers,
begins his work
Hs arranges his robes to his satisfaction,
leans forward, and, placing the tips Of his
long. white fingers together, addresses
charges. / am told, Is the right term-the
grand jury in "a pleasant. colloquial manner.
strain every aurai nerve TO catch the pur-
port OF his glib words. He is sure 10 say
something about this Important murder
case- shall, perhaps, be able 70 learn how
It was that the man fell under suspicion.
Alasi the judge "a one who, by years Of
practice. has acquired the hiack OF using
his voice only just 40 much as Is absolutely
necessary. The grand jury is close to him
and can. no doubt. hear him; but to those
who, like ourselves. are far away in the
background OF the court, his remarks are in
audible All 1 can catch Is a closing caution
to the grand jury, to bear In mind that it is
not within its provinces to determine the in
nocence or guilt Of the prisoners, but to
simply decide whsther there is or is not sufi-
client evidence for the cases to 90 to trial.
The grand jury files out OF court to con-
duct its solemn deliberations in the place
appointed. The judge addresses a few smil-
ing words to the sheriff and other magnates
who. by right or favor. occupy seats on the
bench; then he returns TO the perusal Of his
papers.
For the first time since We entered the
court, Phllippa speaks to me. "Are they
trying him nowr' she asked in n low, lived
whisper, yet in "A voice so changed that l
know what the suspense is costing her.
Briefly ] explain the procedure Of the law,
so far as l know it. Shs signs, and says nc
more.
More m~onotcnous calling OF many names,
to which summons, however, another class
Of men respond. The common jurymen are
now baing called Probably, to save time,
twelve mon are sent into the box, where
they sit, some appearing to enjoy the dig
nifty of the position, some with stolid indif-
ference, others with acute ~unhappiness
plainly manifested. l look at these men
with scarcely less interest than 1 look at the
judge On them, or on some Of them, our
fate rests as much, perhaps more, than IL
rests on him Those mon are trying us
not only the man who will by and by stand
in that rail-topped enclosure. into which we
look down.
Twenty long, weary minutes pass by. All
Dyes turn TO a wooden gallery In the right
hand crrner of the court. A door in the
wall opens. Tn members OF the grand jury
emerge and ill the gallery. The foreman
arms himself with a gigantic fishing rod, To
which he attaches a paper, which is con-
veyed by this clumsy method to that busy
gentleman, the clerk Of assize. What idiotio
feoiery all this seems TO moi
The clerk detaches the document, glances
at 1t, and looks up at the gallery.
Gentlemen Of the grand jury, you return
a true bill against William Evans for muir
derri
I'VE do" answered this foreman with shy
~solemnity.
l grind my teeth. Foolsi II men Of cul-
ture and standing err like this, what can be
expected from a common juryi 1t is well
for me that / heard tho caution just now
givon by the judge. l take such comfort as
l can by thinking they have tried the evil
dence, not the mani What can the evidence
boz Ahl we shall soon know.
The clerk turns, and addressing no one in
particular, says: bring up the prisoner"
Onoe more l sot my teeth. 1 feel my wife's
arm tremble; her hand grows cold. hear
a buzz, as of expectation, run through the
crowded court Every eye turns in one di-
rection-toward the empty dock. For n
moment a species OF dizziness comes over
me; objects swim before my eyes. The SEN
sation passes away. recover myself. The
dock Is no longer untenanted. In the centre,
with n stalwart policeman on either side of
him, stands the accusedl The man who, il
needs be, must be saved by such a sacrificed
From my place, far back in the public
gallery, l can, of course, sec nothing more
of the prisoner than his back. / gaze at this
with intense curiosity, endeavoring to deter
mine the station of the man who is now
about to be tried for his life. / can but
gather this much: He is tall and slight. lis
dress is Of a semi-respsctable nature, but
seems to have seen much service. He might
be anything from a brolren-down clerk to a
gontlbman's servant out at elbows. ] re-
joice Mt his poverty-stricken appearance.
Judging from it, money will be welcome to
him Let the jury but assert his innocence.
and / feel certain that the liberal pocuniary
compensation which 1t is my intention TO
mete out will repay him a hundred times for
tbs ordeal which he is undergoing.
Ordeall Yes, il is the right word. 1t is
easy to see it is a terrible ordeal to the poor
fellow. No need to look at his face to be
told that much. Even as no emerged from
the cells below he seemed to quake with
fear. Now he absolutely falls forward in
the dock, supporting himself by grasping
the iron railing which runs round the top.
! i notice that his fingers, as they cling TO the
iron bars. open and close convulsiveIy.
Every movement Of his back and shoulders
botrays fear and anguish of mind. His
state is pitiable, so pinable that one OF his
Cu3bpAAAhh plACea hlh MINUS unIeT Tile
wretched mans arm, and gives him the ply
steal support which he so sorely needs. He
bonds his head as in shame. andI know that
could ! see his face it would be white as my
own or my wife's.
In spite OF the strain upon my mind l was
able to wonder at the prisoners HOPELESS de-
meanor. Although I had, as it were, torn
my very heart out by the roots to insure this
mans safety in tho event of things going
wrong with him; although / did not oven
now regret the course 1 had taken, | am
bound to sny that his cowardly behavior
took away much of the sympathy which l
should otherwise nave felt for him in his I'M
merited predicament 1t is, OF course, very
easy to say that one would do If in anosher's
place. l certainly felt sure that, were I in
that poor fellows plight, that consciousness
OF my own innocence would give me strength
enough to raise my head and face boldly ali
the judges, juries and prosecuting counsel In
the world. l was willing to make every
allowance for the nervousness natural to
such a position; but / groaned inwardly rs !
gazed upon that miserable, limp. half stand
ing. half reclining form.
Why does he not stand upright Too well
/ know that mother is watching that abject
wretch with interest sven more intense than
mine. know that every attitude OF shame
or foar is understood by Philippa, and adds
to the scruples which she feels at following
my advice and awaiting the result Of the
trial. Every agonixed movement Of the
prisoner in the dock seems to be family re-
produced by the hand within my own.
Every pang he suffers runs through the
frame of the woman who knows that he IL
suffering for her deed
The clerk reads over the Indictment I;
That he, William Evans did feloniously,
willfuliy, and OF malice aforethought kin
and murder Sir Mervyn Ferrand, Baronetr
As tho reading proceeds Philippa draws ma
toward her. "Basil.n she says in a low
whisper. ''this is moro dreadful than l
dreamed OF. cannot bear it longer. Think
Of that moor mans anguish I Basil. he also