ave heard something else about this Arthur Barton
Ridgeley, Esq.; and not quite so much to his credit." Oh dear! But
then he was hardly responsible.

"I presume you have. And you heard it with the same ears with which
you hear everything disconnected with your precious self. Were their
acuteness equal to their length, you would also have heard, that in
this, as in everything else, he was true and noble." The voice was
shaken a little by two or three emotions, and tears sprang to her eyes
and dried there.

When Thorndyke recovered, they had reached Judge Markham's gate; and
springing unaided from her saddle, Julia turned to him with all her
grace and graciousness fully restored.

"Many thanks for your escort, Mr. Thorndyke. I shall expect you at
eight."

At about that hour, a boy from Parker's brought her the following
note:

"THURSDAY EVENING.

"_Miss Markham_:--Pardon, if you can, my rudeness of this afternoon.
Kindly remember the severity of my punishment. Believe me capable of
appreciating a heroic act; and the womanly devotion that can alone
reward it. From my heart, I congratulate you.

"With the profoundest respect.

"W. THORNDYKE."

As she read, a softer light, almost a mist, came into the eyes of the
young girl.

"I fear I have done this man a real injustice."

CHAPTER XLVII.

THE TRIAL

The March term of the Court at Chardon was at the beginning of its
third and last week. The important case in ejectment of Fisk _vs_.
Cole, was reached at the commencement of the second, and laid over for
the absence of defendant's counsel. This directly involved the title
of Cole to his land; a title that had been loosely talked about, and
generally supposed to be bad.

In the fall of 1837, a stranger by the name of Fisk appeared in the
country, placed a deed of the land in question on record; gave Cole
notice to quit, commenced his suit, and leisurely proceeded to take
his evidence in Conn, and Mass., and get ready for the trial. Bart's
trial of Coles's first case had rendered the latter an object of
interest; and it was generally felt that the new case was one of great
oppression and hardship; and popular opinion and sympathy were wholly
with Cole, and all the more so, as the impression was that he would
lose his land.

The people of Newbury, however, really believed that if Bart would
return and take the case in hand, in some way, he would win it; but
the Court had commenced, the case was calle