Thesheetslookedmadeoutofsail-cloth，butwerefreshandcleaninspiteoftheirbrownness。Againstthewallwerewaferedtworoughdrawingsofvesselswiththeirnameswrittenunderneath，onwhichthemother’seyescaught，andgazeduntiltheyfilledwithtears。Butshebrushedthedropsawaywiththebackofherhand；andinacheerfultonewentontoassureMarythebedwaswellaired。“Icannotsleep，thankyou。Iwillsithere，ifyouplease，“saidMary，sinkingdownonthewindow-seat。“Come，now，“saidMrsSturgis，“mymastertoldmetoseeyoutobed，andImun。What’stheuseofwatching？Awatchedpotneverboils，andIseeyouareafterwatchingthatweathercock。Whynow，Itrynevertolookatit，elseIcoulddonoughtelse。Myheartmanyatimegoessickwhenthewindrises，butIturnawayandworkaway，andtrynevertothinkonthewind，butonwhatIha’gettentodo。““Letmestayupalittle，“pleadedMary，asherhostessseemedsoresoluteaboutseeinghertobed。Herlookswonhersuit。“Well，IsupposeImun。Ishallcatchitdown-stairs，Iknow。He’llbeinafidgettillyou’regettentobed，Iknow；soyoumunbequietifyouaresobentuponstayingup。“Andquietly，noiselessly，Marywatchedtheunchangingweathercockthroughthenight。Shesatonthelittlewindow-seat，herhandholdingbackthecurtainwhichshadedtheroomfromthebrightmoonlightwithout；herheadrestingitswearinessagainstthecornerofthewindow-frame；hereyesburning，andstiffwiththeintensityofhergaze。Theruddymorningstoleupthehorizon，castingacrimsonglowintothewatcher’sroom。Itwasthemorningofthedayoftrial!
“Thoustand’stherearraign’d，Thatwithpresumptionimpiousandaccurs’d，Thouhastusurp’dGod’shighprerogative，Makingthyfellowmortal’slifeanddeathWaitonthymoodyanddiseasedpassions；ThatwithaviolentanduntimelysteelHathsetabroachtheblood，thatshouldhaveebbedIncalmandnaturalcurrenttosumallInonewildname——anamethepaleairfreezesat，Andeverycheekofmansinksinwithhorror——Thouartacoldandmidnightmurderer。MILMAN’SFAZIO。Ofalltherestlesspeoplewhofoundthatnight’shoursagonizingfromexcessofanxiety，thepoorfatherofthemurderedmanwasperhapsthemostrestless。Hehadsleptbutlittlesincetheblowhadfallen；hiswakinghourshadbeenfullofagitatedthought，whichseemedtohauntandpursuehimthroughhisunquietslumbers。Andthisnightofallotherswasthemostsleepless。Heturnedoverandoveragaininhismindthewonderifeverythinghadbeendone，thatcouldbedone，toensuretheconvictionofJemWilson。Healmostregrettedthehastewithwhichhehadurgedforwardtheproceedings，andyet，untilhehadobtainedvengeance，hefeltasiftherewerenopeaceonearthforhimIdon’tknowthatheexactlyusedthetermvengeanceinhisthoughts；
hespokeofjustice，andprobablythoughtofhisdesiredendassuch；
nopeace，eitherbodilyormental，forhemovedupanddownhisbedroomwiththerestlessincessanttrampofawildbeastinacage，andifhecompelledhisachinglimbstoceaseforaninstant，thetwitchingswhichensuedalmostamountedtoconvulsions，andherecommencedhiswalkasthelesserevil，andthemorebearablefatigue。Withdaylight，increasedpowerofactioncame；andhedroveofftoarousehisattorney，andworryhimwithfurtherdirectionsandinquiries；andwhenthatwasended，hesat，watchinhand，untilthecourtsshouldbeopened，andthetrialbegin。Whatwerealltheliving，——wifeordaughters，——whatweretheyincomparisonwiththedead，——themurderedsonwholayunburiedstill，incompliancewithhisfather’searnestwish，andalmostvowedpurpose，ofhavingtheslayerofhischildsentencedtodeathbeforehecommittedthebodytotherestofthegrave。Atnineo’clocktheyallmetattheirawfulplaceofrendezvous。Thejudge，thejury，theavengerofblood，theprisoner，thewitnesses——allweregatheredtogetherwithinthebuilding。Andbesidestheseweremanyothers，personallyinterestedinsomepartoftheproceedings，inwhich，however，theytooknopart；JobLegh，BenSturgis，andseveralotherswerethere，amongstwhomwasCharleyJones。JobLeghhadcarefullyavoidedanyquestioningfromMrsWilsonthatmorning。
Indeed，hehadnotbeenmuchinhercompany，forhehadbeenupearlytogooutoncemoretomakeinquiryforMary；andwhenhecouldhearnothingofher，hehaddesperatelyresolvednottoundeceiveMrsWilson，assorrownevercametoolate；andiftheblowwereinevitable，itwouldbebettertoleaveherinignoranceoftheimpendingevilaslongaspossible。Shetookherplaceinthewitness-room，wornanddispirited，butnotanxious。AsJobstruggledthroughthecrowdintothebodyofthecourt，MrBridgenorth’sclerkbeckonedtohim。“Here’saletterforyoufromourclient!“Jobsickenedashetookit。Hedidnotknowwhy，buthedreadedaconfessionofguiltwhichwouldbeanoverthrowofallhope。Theletterranasfollows：“DEARFRIEND，——Ithankyouheartilyforyourgoodnessinfindingmealawyer，butlawyerscandonogoodtome，whatevertheymaydotootherpeople。
ButIamnotthelessobligedtoyou，dearfriend。Iforeseethingswillgoagainstme-andnowonder。IfIwasajurymanIshouldsaythemanwasguiltyashadasmuchevidencebroughtagainsthimasmaybebroughtagainstmeto-morrow。Soit’snoblametothemiftheydo。But，JobLegh，IthinkIneednottellyouIamasguiltlessinthismatterasthebabeunborn，althoughitisnotinmypowertoproveit。IfIdidnotbelievethatyouthoughtmeinnocent，IcouldnotwriteasIdonowtotellyoumywishes。
You’llnotforgettheyarethewordsofamanshortlytodie。Dearfriend，youmusttakecareofmymother。Notinthemoneyway，forshewillhaveenoughforherandAuntAlice；butyoumustlethertalktoyouofme；
andshowherthatwhateverothersmaydoyouthinkIdiedinnocent。I
don’treckonshe’llstaylongbehindwhenweareallgone。Betenderwithher，Job，formysake；andifsheisabitfractiousattimes，rememberwhatshehasgonethrough。Iknowmotherwillneverdoubtme，Godblessher。“ThereisoneotherwhomIfearIhavelovedtoodearly；andyetthelovingherhasmadethehappinessofmylife。ShewillthinkIhavemurderedherlover；shewillthinkIhavecausedthegriefshemustbefeeling。Andshemustgoonthinkingso。Itisharduponmetosaythis；butshemust。
Itwillbebestforher，andthat’sallIoughttothinkon。But，dearJob，youareaheartyfellowforyourtimeoflife，andmaylivemanyyearstocome；andperhapsyoucouldtellher，whenyoufeltsureyouweredrawingnearyourend，thatIsolemnlytoldyouasIdonowthatIwasinnocentofthisthing。Youmustnottellherformanyyearstocome；butIcannotwellbeartothinkonherlivingthroughalonglife，andhatingthethoughtofmeasthemurdererofhimsheloved，anddyingwiththathatredtomeinherheart。Itwouldhurtmesoreintheotherworldtoseethelookofitinherface，asitwouldbe，tillshewastold。Imustnotletmyselfthinkonhowshemustbeviewingmenow。“SoGodblessyou，JobLegh；andnomorefrom“Yourstocommand，“JAMESWILSON。“Jobturnedtheletteroverandoverwhenhebadreadit；sigheddeeply；
andthenwrappingitcarefullyupinabitofnewspaperhehadabouthim，heputitinhiswaistcoatpocket，andwentofftothedoorofthewitness-roomtoaskifMaryBartonwasthere。Asthedooropenedhesawhersittingwithin，againstatableonwhichherfoldedarmswereresting，andherheadwashiddenwithinthem。Itwasanattitudeofhopelessness，andwouldhaveservedtostrikeJobdumbinsicknessofheart，evenwithoutthesoundofMrsWilson’svoiceinpassionatesobbing，andsorelamentations，whichtoldhimaswellaswordscoulddoforshewasnotwithinviewofthedoor，andhedidnotcaretogoin，thatshewasatanyratepartiallyundeceivedastothehopeshehadgivenherlastnight。SorrowfullydidJobreturnintothebodyofthecourt；neitherMrsWilsonnorMaryhavingseenhimashehadstoodatthewitness-roomdoor。Assoonashecouldbringhisdistractedthoughtstobearuponthepresentscene，heperceivedthatthetrialofJamesWilsonforthemurderofHenryCarsonwasjustcommencing。Theclerkwasgabblingovertheindictment，andinaminuteortwotherewastheaccustomedquestion，“Howsayyou，GuiltyorNotGuilty？“Althoughbutoneanswerwasexpected，——wascustomaryinallcases，——therewasapauseofdeadsilence，anintervalofsolemnityeveninthishackneyedpartoftheproceeding；whiletheprisoneratthebarstoodwithcompressedlips，lookingatthejudgewithhisoutwardeyes，butwithfarotheranddifferentscenespresentedtohismentalvision；asortofrapidrecapitulationofhislife，——remembrancesofhischildhood，——hisfathersoproudofhim，hisfirst-bornchild，——hissweetlittleplayfellow，Mary，——hishopes，hislove——hisdespair，yetstill，yeteverandever，hislove，——theblank，wideworldithadbeenwithoutherlove，——hismother，——hischildlessmother，——butnotlongtobeso，——notlongtobeawayfromallsheloved，——norduringthattimetobeoppressedwithdoubtastohisinnocence，sureandsecureofherdarling’sheart；——hestartedfromthisinstant’spause，andsaidinalowfirmvoice，“Notguilty，mylord。“Thecircumstancesofthemurder，thediscoveryofthebody，thecausesofsuspicionagainstJem，wereaswellknowntomostoftheaudienceastheyaretoyou，sotherewassomelittlebuzzofconversationgoingonamongthepeoplewhiletheleadingcounselfortheprosecutionmadehisveryeffectivespeech。“That’sMrCarson，thefather，sittingbehindSerjeantWilkinson!““Whatanoble-lookingoldmanheis!sosternandinflexible，withsuchclassicalfeatures!DoeshenotremindyouofsomeofthebustsofJupiter？““Iammoreinterestedbywatchingtheprisoner。Criminalsalwaysinterestme。Itrytotraceinthefeaturescommontohumanitysomeexpressionofthecrimesbywhichtheyhavedistinguishedthemselvesfromtheirkind。
Ihaveseenagoodnumberofmurderersinmyday，butIhaveseldomseenonewithsuchmarksofCainonhiscountenanceasthemanatthebar。““Well，Iamnophysiognomist，butIdon’tthinkhisfacestrikesmeasbad。Itcertainlyisgloomyanddepressed，andnotunnaturallyso，consideringhissituation。““Onlylookathislow，resolutebrow，hisdowncasteye，hiswhitecompressedlips。Heneverlooksup，——justwatchhim。““Hisforeheadisnotsolowifhehadthatmassofblackhairremoved，andisverysquare，whichsomepeoplesayisagoodsign。Ifothersaretobeinfluencedbysuchtriflesasyouare，itwouldhavebeenmuchbetteriftheprisonbarberhadcuthishairalittleprevioustothetrial；andasfordowncasteye，andcompressedlip，itisallpartandparcelofhisinwardagitationjustnow；nothingtodowithcharacter，mygoodfellow。“PoorJem!Hisravenhairhismother’spride，andsooftenfondlycaressedbyherfingers，wasthat，too，tohaveitsinfluenceagainsthim？Thewitnesseswerecalled。Atfirsttheyconsistedprincipallyofpolicemen；
who，beingmuchaccustomedtogivingevidence，knewwhatwerethematerialpointstheywerecalledontoprove，anddidnotlosethetimeofthecourtinlisteningtoanythingunnecessary。“Clearasdayagainsttheprisoner，“whisperedoneattorney’sclerktoanother。“Blackasnight，youmean，“repliedhisfriend；andtheybothsmiled。“JaneWilson!who’sshe？somerelation，Isuppose，fromthename。““Themother，——shethatistoprovethegunpartofthecase。““Oh，aye——Iremember!Ratherhardonher，too，Ithink。“Thenbothweresilent，asoneoftheofficersofthecourtusheredMrsWilsonintothewitness-box。Ihaveoftencalledher“theoldwoman，“and“anoldwoman，“because，intruth，herappearancewassomuchbeyondheryears，whichcouldnothemanyabovefifty。Butpartlyowingtoheraccidentinearlylife，whichleftastampofpainuponherface，partlyowingtoheranxioustemper，partlytohersorrows，andpartlytoherlimpinggait，shealwaysgavemetheideaofage。Butnowshemighthaveseemedmorethanseventy；herlinesweresosetanddeep，herfeaturessosharpened，andherwalksofeeble。Shewastryingtocheckhersobsintocomposure，andunconsciouslywasstrivingtobehaveasshethoughtwouldbestpleaseherpoorboy，whomsheknewshehadoftengrievedbyheruncontrolledimpatience。
Hehadburiedhisfaceinhisarms，whichrestedonthefrontofthedockanattitudeheretainedduringthegreaterpartofhistrial，andwhichprejudicedmanyagainsthim。Thecounselbegantheexamination。“YournameisJaneWilson，Ibelieve？““Yes，sir。““Themotheroftheprisoneratthebar？““Yes，sir，“withquiveringvoice，readytobreakoutintoweeping，butearningrespectbythestrongeffortatself-control，prompted，asIhavesaidbefore，byherearnestwishtopleasehersonbyherbehaviour。Thebarristernowproceededtotheimportantpartoftheexamination，tendingtoprovethatthegunfoundonthesceneofthemurderwastheprisoner’s。