Shehadcommittedherselfsofullytothepoliceman，thatshecouldnotwellretract；sowithoutmuchdelayinbringingthequestionroundtothedesiredpoint，thegunwasproducedincourt，andtheinquirymade——“Thatgunbelongstoyourson，doesitnot？“Sheclenchedthesidesofthewitness-boxinhereffortstomakeherparchedtongueutterwords。Atlastshemoanedforth，“Oh!Jem，Jem!whatmunIsay？“Everyonebentforwardtoheartheprisoner’sanswer；although，infact，itwasoflittleimportancetotheissueofthetrial。Helifteduphishead；andwithafacebrimmingfullofpityforhismother，yetresolvedintoendurance，said“Tellthetruth，mother。“Andsoshedid，withthefidelityofalittlechild。Everyonefeltthatshedid；andthelittlecolloquybetweenmotherandson，didthemsomeslightserviceintheopinionoftheaudience。Buttheawfuljudgesatunmoved；andthejurymenchangednotamuscleoftheircountenances；whilethecounselfortheprosecutionwenttriumphantlythroughthispartofthecase，includingthefactofJem’sabsencefromhomeonthenightofthemurder，andbringingeveryadmissiontobearrightagainsttheprisoner。Itwasover。Shewastoldtogodown。Butshecouldnolongercompelhermother’shearttokeepsilence，andsuddenlyturningtowardsthejudgewithwhomsheimaginedtheverdicttorest，shethusaddressedhimwithherchokingvoice：“Andnow，sir，I’vetelledyouthetruth，andthewholetruth，ashebidme；butdon’tyeletwhatI’vesaidgofortohanghim；oh，mylordjudge，takemywordforit，he’sasinnocentasthechildashasyettobeborn。Forsure，I，whoamhismother，andhavenursedhimonmyknee，andbeengladdenedbythesightofhimeverydaysince，oughttoknowhimbetterthanyonpackoffellows“indicatingthejury，whileshestroveagainstherhearttorenderherwordsdistinctandclearforherdearson’ssake“who，I’llgobail，neversawhimbeforethismorninginalltheirborndays。Mylordjudge，he’ssogoodIoftenwonderedwhatharmtherewasinhim；manyisthetimewhenI’vebeenfrettedforI’mfrabbitenoughattimes，whenI’vescold’tmyself，andsaid，’Youungratefulthing，theLordGodhasgivenyouJem，andisn’tthatblessingenoughforyou。’ButHehasseenfittopunishme。IfJemis——ifJemis——takenfromme，Ishallbeachildlesswoman；andverypoor，havingnoughtlefttoloveonearth，andIcannotsay’Hiswillbedone。’Icannot，mylordjudge，oh，Icannot。“Whilesobbingoutthesewordsshewasledawaybytheofficersofthecourt，buttenderly，andreverently，withtherespectwhichgreatsorrowcommands。Thestreamofevidencewentonandon，gatheringfreshforcefromeverywitnesswhowasexamined，andthreateningtooverwhelmpoorJem。Alreadytheyhadprovedthatthegunwasis，thathehadbeenheardnotmanydaysbeforethecommissionofthedeedtothreatenthedeceased；indeed，thatthepolicehad，atthattime，beenobligedtointerfere，topreventsomeprobableactofviolence。Itonlyremainedtobringforwardasufficientmotiveforthethreatandthemurder。Thecluetothishadbeenfurnishedbythepoliceman，whohadoverheardJem’sangrylanguagetoMrCarson；
andhisreportinthefirstinstancehadoccasionedthesubpoenatoMary。Andnowshewastobecalledontobearwitness。Thecourtwasbythistimealmostasfullasitcouldhold；butfreshattemptswerebeingmadetosqueezeinatalltheentrances，formanywereanxioustoseeandhearthispartofthetrial。OldMrCarsonfeltanadditionalbeatathisheartatthethoughtofseeingthefatalHelen，thecauseofall，——akindofinterestandyetrepugnance，forwasnotshebelovedbythedead；nay，perhapsinherway，lovingandmourningforthesamebeingthathehimselfwassobitterlygrievingover？
Andyethefeltasifheabhorredherandherrumouredloveliness，asifshewerethecurseagainsthim；andhegrewjealousofthelovewithwhichshehadinspiredhisson，andwouldfainhavedeprivedherofevenhernaturalrightofsorrowingoverherlover’suntimelyend：foryouseeitwasafixedideainthemindsofall，thatthehandsome，bright，gay，richyounggentlemanmusthavebeenbelovedinpreferencetotheserious，almoststern-lookingsmith，whohadtotoilforhisdailybread。HithertotheeffectofthetrialhadequalledMrCarson’smostsanguinehopes，andaseverelookofsatisfactioncameoverthefaceoftheavenger，——overthatcountenancewhencethesmilehaddeparted，nevermoretoreturn。Alleyesweredirectedtothedoorthroughwhichthewitnessesentered。
EvenJemlookeduptocatchoneglimpse，beforehehidhisfacefromherlookofaversion。Theofficerhadgonetofetchher。ShewasinexactlythesameattitudeaswhenJobLeghhadseenhertwohoursbeforethroughthehalf-opendoor。Notafingerhadmoved。Theofficersummonedher，hutshedidnotstir。Shewassostill，hethoughtshehadfallenasleep，andhesteppedforwardandtouchedher。Shestartedupinaninstant，andfollowedhimwithakindofrushingrapidmotionintothecourt，intothewitness-box。Andamidallthatseaoffaces，mistyandswimmingbeforehereyes，shesawbuttwoclearbrightspots，distinctandfixedthejudge，whomighthavetocondemn；andtheprisoner，whomighthavetodie。Themellowsunlightstreameddownthathighwindowonherhead，andfellontherichtreasureofhergoldenhair，stuffedawayinmassesunderherlittlebonnet-cap；andinthosewarmbeamsthemoteskeptdancinguanddown。Thewindhadchanged——hadchangedalmostassoonasshehadgivenupherwatching；thewindhadchanged，andsheheededitnot。Manywhowerelookingformerefleshandbloodbeauty，merecolouring，weredisappointed；forherfacewasdeadlywhite，andalmostsetinitsexpression，whileamournfulbewilderedsoullookedoutofthedepthsofthosesoft，deep，greyeyes。Butothersrecognisedahigherandastrangerkindofbeauty；onethatwouldkeepitsholdonthememoryformanyafteryears。Iwasnottheremyself；butonewhowas，toldmethatherlook，andindeedherwholeface，wasmorelikethewell-knownengravingfromGuido’spictureof“BeatriceCenci“thananythingelsehecouldgivemeanideaof。Headded，thathercountenancehauntedhim，liketheremembranceofsomewildsadmelody，heardinchildhood；thatitwouldperpetuallyrecurwithitsmuteimploringagony。Withallthecourtreelingbeforeheralwayssaveandexceptthoseawfultwo，sheheardavoicespeak，andansweredthesimpleinquirysomethingabouthernamemechanically，asifinadream。Soshewentonfortwoorthreemorequestions，withastrangewonderinherbrain，attherealityoftheterriblecircumstancesinwhichshewasplaced。Suddenlyshewasroused，sheknewnothoworbywhat。Shewasconsciousthatallwasreal，thathundredswerelookingather，thattrue-soundingwordswerebeingextractedfromher；thatthatfigure，soboweddown，withthefaceconcealedwithbothhands，wasreallyJem。Herfaceflashedscarlet，andthen，palerthanbefore。Butindreadofherself；withthetremendoussecretimprisonedwithinher，sheexertedeverypowershehadtokeepinthefullunderstandingofwhatwasgoingon，ofwhatshewasasked，andofwhatsheanswered。Withallherfacultiespreternaturallyaliveandsensitive，sheheardthenextquestionfromthepertyoungbarrister，whowasdelightedtohavetheexaminationofthiswitness。“Andpray，mayIask，whichwasthefavouredlover？Yousayyouknewboththeseyoungmen。Whichwasthefavouredlover？Whichdidyouprefer？“Andwhowashe，thequestioner，thatheshoulddaresolightlytoaskofherheart’ssecrets？Thatheshoulddaretoaskhertotell，beforethatmultitudeassembledthere，whatwomanusuallywhisperswithblushesandtears，andmanyhesitations，tooneearalone？So，foraninstant，alookofindignationcontractedMary’sbrow，asshesteadilymettheeyesoftheimpertinentcounsellor。But，inthatinstant，shesawthehandsremovedfromafacebeyond，behind；andacountenancerevealedofsuchintenseloveandwoe，——suchadeprecatingdreadofheranswer；andsuddenlyherresolutionwastaken。Thepresentwaseverything；
thefuture，thatvastshroud，itwasmaddeningtothinkupon；butnowshemightownherfault，butnowshemightevenownherlove。Now，whenthebelovedstoodthus，abhorredofmen，therewouldbenofeminineshametostandbetweenherandheravowal。Soshealsoturnedtowardsthejudge，partlytomarkthatheranswerwasnotgiventothemonkeyfiedmanwhoquestionedher，andlikewisethatthefacemightbeavertedfrom，andhereyesnotgazeupon，theformthatcontractedwiththedreadofthewordsheanticipated。“HeasksmewhichofthemtwoIlikedbest。PerhapsIlikedMrHarryCarsononce——Idon’tknow——I’veforgotten；butIlovedJamesWilson，that’snowontrial，abovewhattonguecantell——aboveallelseonearthputtogether；