derable
in the county, was apprised of the nature of the business. Few trials,
invested with all the forms of judgment, have excited so general an
interest. A trial, under the present circumstances, was scarcely
attainable; and it seemed to be the wish both of principal and umpires,
to give to this transaction all the momentary notoriety and decisiveness
of a trial.

"The magistrates investigated the particulars of the story. Mr.
Falkland, it appeared, had left the rooms immediately after his
assailant; and though he had been attended by one or two of the
gentlemen to his inn, it was proved that he had left them upon some
slight occasion, as soon as he arrived at it, and that, when they
enquired for him of the waiters, he had already mounted his horse and
ridden home.

"By the nature of the case, no particular facts could be stated in
balance against these. As soon as they had been sufficiently detailed,
Mr. Falkland therefore proceeded to his defence. Several copies of his
defence were-made, and Mr. Falkland seemed, for a short time, to have
had the idea of sending it to the press, though, for some reason or
other, he afterwards suppressed it. I have one of the copies in my
possession, and I will read it to you."

Saying this, Mr. Collins rose, and took it from a private drawer in his
escritoire. During this action he appeared to recollect himself. He did
not, in the strict sense of the word, hesitate; but he was prompted to
make some apology for what he was doing.

"You seem never to have heard of this memorable transaction; and,
indeed, that is little to be wondered at, since the good nature of the
world is interested in suppressing it, and it is deemed a disgrace to a
man to have defended himself from a criminal imputation, though with
circumstances the most satisfactory and honourable. It may be supposed
that this suppression is particularly acceptable to Mr. Falkland; and I
should not have acted in contradiction to his modes of thinking in
communicating the story to you, had there not been circumstances of
peculiar urgency, that seemed to render the communication desirable."
Saying this, he proceeded to read from the paper in his hand.

"Gentlemen,

"I stand here accused of a crime, the most black that any human creature
is capable of perpetrating. I am innocent. I have no fear that I shall
fail to make every person in this company acknowledge my innocence. In
the mean time, what must be my feelings? Consc