\"IftheFiscalhadseenmyoldfriendwhenIcommunicatedthedoctors’message，Idoubtifhewouldhaveventuredtochargetheprisonerwiththemurderofhiswife。Tomymindthechargewasnothinglessthananoutrage。Iresistedtheseizureoftheprisoner’sDiaryandletters，animatedbythatfeeling。NowthattheDiaryhasbeenproduced，Iagreewiththeprisoner’smotherindenyingthatitisfairevidencetobringagainsthim。ADiary（whenitextendsbeyondabarerecordoffactsanddates）isnothingbutanexpressionofthepoorestandweakestsideinthecharacterofthepersonwhokeepsit。Itis，inninecasesoutoften，themoreorlesscontemptibleoutpouringofvanityandconceitwhichthewriterdarenotexhibittoanymortalbuthimself。Iamtheprisoner’soldestfriend。IsolemnlydeclarethatIneverknewhecouldwritedownrightnonsenseuntilIheardhisDiaryreadinthisCourt！
\"_He_killhiswife！_He_treathiswifewithneglectandcruelty！Iventuretosay，fromtwentyyears’experienceofhim，thatthereisnomaninthisassemblywhoisconstitutionallymoreincapableofcrimeandmoreincapableofcrueltythanthemanwhostandsattheBar。WhileIamaboutit，Igofurtherstill。Ievendoubtwhetheramancapableofcrimeandcapableofcrueltycouldhavefounditinhishearttodoeviltothewomanwhoseuntimelydeathisthesubjectofthisinquiry。
\"Ihaveheardwhattheignorantandprejudicednurse，ChristinaOrmsay，hassaidofthedeceasedlady。Frommyownpersonalobservation，Icontradicteverywordofit。Mrs。EustaceMacallan——grantingherpersonaldefects——wasneverthelessoneofthemostcharmingwomenIevermetwith。Shewashighlybred，inthebestsenseoftheword。Ineversawinanyotherpersonsosweetasmileashers，orsuchgraceandbeautyofmovementashers。Ifyoulikedmusic，shesangbeautifully；andfewprofessedmusicianshadsuchatouchonthepianoashers。Ifyoupreferredtalking，Ineveryetmetwiththeman（oreventhewoman，whichissayingagreatdealmore）whomherconversationcouldnotcharm。Tosaythatsuchawifeasthiscouldbefirstcruellyneglected，andthenbarbarouslymurdered，bytheman——no！bythemartyr——whostandsthere，istotellmethatthesunnevershinesatnoonday，orthattheheavenisnotabovetheearth。
\"Ohyes！Iknowthatthelettersofherfriendsshowthatshewrotetotheminbittercomplaintofherhusband’sconducttoher。Butrememberwhatoneofthosefriends（thewisestandthebestofthem）saysinreply。’Iowntothinking，’shewrites，’thatyoursensitivenatureexaggeratesormisinterpretstheneglectthatyouexperienceatthehandsofyourhusband。’There，inthatonesentence，isthewholetruth！
Mrs。EustaceMacallan’snaturewastheimaginative，self—tormentingnatureofapoet。Nomortallovecouldeverhavebeenrefinedenoughfor_her。_Trifleswhichwomenofacoarsermoralfiberwouldhavepassedoverwithoutnotice，werecausesofdownrightagonytothatexquisitelysensitivetemperament。Therearepersonsborntobeunhappy。Thatpoorladywasoneofthem。