Year: 1868

10 his bedroom, issued thence Immediately
in search of the nursemaid and told her
in a few words that she must pack her
box at once, and be ready to start home
by the midday coach that she was to get
the house ready, and he would be there
the next day with his wife and child Her
box was ready and standing in the hall,
and with 1t small portmsnteau, which he
had packed in the meantime for her to
take with her. He went for porter, hur.
ried him back, helped him with his weight,
and the three were at the garden gate.


1.-THE piteous scene which followed was
described to me by old Mr.. Psrkes, whom
the hustle had brought out to the door.
The wife, looking scared and anxious,
reached the gate as they were leaving II.
Before she could speak the husband reeled
back as If he had been heavily struck, COW
cred his face with his hands, and uttered
moan of pain. The next instant he had
recovered himself, caught his wife as she
was falling, and carried her swiftly up the
garden, and so to her room, the others
looking on In mute wonder A cry for
water reused them. He took 1t at the
door from their hands, shut himself into
the room, and all was again silent. An
hour passed. A small crowd gathered
round the gate, and was again dispersed.
1t satisfied them that lady had tainted,
but was better. But the mind of the old
custom.hou officer was not so smoothly
satisfied. He had noticed that the child
was not amongst them, that sudden flight
with packages had been tried for, and that
the failure of this design had been heavy
discontinue to one at least of the party.
To talk it over with the head constable
seemed to him his instant duty, and he
slipped quietly out by the back-door and
did it. You can almost guess what fol.
lowed. The husband was soon summoned
from his room, and in few minutes APP
peared, pale but self.controlled He gave
up his keys, and turned to the window
while the portmanteau was opened. In it
was found the child, dead, and horribly
battered in the head and face: and of
course the father without more delay than
was needful was arrested on the coroner's
warrant.


at is long since all this happened, but
believe l recollect the minutest incidents
Not only were they discussed and sifted
again and again amongst us wherever two
men met, but l was on the jury, and was
therefore called upon to give the closest
attention to every fragment of evidence


AT the inquest the poor wifes deposi-
| ton was read, as they dared not move her.
1t was a short and simple statement. Be-
fore her husband left her to go for his let
ters, he had tethered the child to her waist
band by the two straps, by which he was
used to carry up the shawls. This precau-
| ton he had thought necessary, because
she often would fall asleep up there in the
| morning, either from weakness or from
| the effect of the opiates which she was
constantly taking at this time, and he
feared that the child, who was just able to
crawl, might possibly stray to the edge of
the cliff She had fallen asleep, for how
long she could not say, had found the
child gone when she awoke, and the strap
united from her band, but saw at once
| pinned to her shawl a paper with few


words written by her husband in pencil,


saying that he had taken the child home,


and would return for her Immediately.


After waiting for some little time she be-


gan to feel anxious lest the child should


be ill, and walked down by herself to the


cottage.


"The husband was of course examined
in person. He was submissive and yet


naughty in manner, alternately deferen-


tial and contemptuous. He looked, how


ever, haggard and weak, like man just


shaking off fever. He had self-con-


sistent story to offer, which he told in a





that never once moved. He had found, he


said, when he reached his wife, the strap


severed, and his own knife lying open on


the turf yard or more off. After hasty
look round he went at once to the edge of


the cliff, and scrambled down by a rough


path to the sea. He had seen something


on the rocks below, which he thought


might be his child, and found it there,


mangled as we saw it. For few minutes he


was paralyzed, but, reused by the need for


instant action, seized it and rushed back up


the cliff AS he reached the top, he paused


for one horrible moment, unnerved by the


terror of the thought that his wife might


die if her eyes should open on so fearful a


sight. A thought came suddenly to aid.


Creeping stealthily towards her, ne saw


that he could trust to the soundness of her


sleep; in few seconds he had written


the note, cut from her band the remnant


of the strap, seized shawl lying near
,. and wrapping the child in it, was on his
way to the cottage. 1t was better, he
thought, to take her within, and break the
news to her gradually there. But as hC


neared the cottage his purpose agaiI
changed he shrank from the idea ofbeinl
the talk of strange place, perhaps also
who could say IA mark for some suspi
cion under circumstances the mystery o
which seemed then for the first time tC
strike him. He therefore rapidly resolved
if possible, to keep the child's fate secre
) until he could reach his own home. Hi
mind, once set on this, soon found the plan
He would at once send home the nurse
maid, and trust to finding some way to per
suade his wife that it was necessary fo
|, him, both to start the child off at once
and to follow with her the next day
| ha ha1 hot
2 might easily be made to warrant the ne
cessity for an instant return.


"This was his account of himself, an
! by many it was forthwith believed. II
= declared himself willing to give the jur
J every opportunity of testing the truth {
y his statement, but the difficulty was to dt
4 wise any test. Inquiry had been mad
II about him in the town where he liveC
q q and not only his general worth, but e
= pecially his kindness of nature, were S
= universally recognized, that it was thougl
4 useless to take any special evidence o


those heads The only fact that SCENE
~ proved was that the child had been mu
- dered. There were some of US upon II
the iury-I confess that was one of the
: upon whom this attempt to smugg
= the body away, together with his demeal
= or, both at the moment that his plan WI
:, frustrated, and afterwards at the inqueS
y had produced very strong conviction
- his guilt. There was nothing left TO U
however, but to acquiesce in an open We
II dict, upon which he bowed grayely- al
"A retired. As soon as his wife could
of moved he left our town, and, as we afte
ii wards learnt, at once broke up his HON
10 and travelled.


" didn't believe his story bit"
Is Yes, but" interrupted, "it is bare
IN possible, suppose, that his account nj
p. have been true for all that / plainly s
he tnat even then, what you really must
bit low me to cali your infirmity had set
1d and that you We're unable to do Justice
rat an outer barbarian"


,e. "Quite possible" he answered., +" for
of is plain that barbarians las you seem
"a. call yourselves) and l are of two differe


ranea horn Ln snSnecL each niher | s,