that's it,'
concluded the watchmaker, looking up from his extract.

A murmur and shaking of heads followed, and the foreman again
felicitously voiced the general feeling:

'_That_ doesn't sound like guilt,' he said, with emphasis. 'May I see
that paper? Perhaps it has some other things which we have forgotten.'

'Certainly, sir. But I don't know whether we ought to be reading
this,' hazarded its owner, handing the slip across.

'Why not? We're only doing it to refresh our memory.'

This reply was again felt to be worthy of its author. It had a fine
flavour of legality about it too, which gave confidence to the other
jurymen. They realized that they were fortunate in their foreman.

That gentleman meanwhile proceeded to glance down the document before
him. Presently he stopped, frowned, pursed up his lips, and breathed a
stern sigh. The others watched with anxiety. He proceeded to enlighten
them.

'Gentlemen, listen to this, and tell me what effect it has on your
minds. Sergeant Evans said, "I arrested the prisoner on the morning of
the second. I told her she was charged with the wilful murder of Ann
Elizabeth Lewis. She turned pale and said, 'It is impossible.' I
cautioned her. She said nothing more, and _shed no tears_." Gentlemen,
is that like innocence?'

He laid down the paper. The prisoner's doom was sealed. The waverers
among the jury went over at once, and even the friends of the prisoner
no longer dared to hold out. The tailor would have resisted if he had
dared, but his sense of social inferiority was too much for him. What
was he, a humble little tradesman, to set himself against eleven men,
headed by a wealthy contractor who wore three spade guineas on his
watch-chain?

Then a solemn awe settled down over the faces of the twelve men. They
did not hesitate in doing what they believed was their duty, but they
felt some natural horror of the result. At last the foreman said:

'Gentlemen, are we all agreed?'

And, as there was no reply, he led them back into court.

They had not been out quite an hour, but the interval seemed terribly
long to those they left behind.

When they came in one by one, with drooping heads and set faces, the
verdict was read before it was heard. Only the prisoner still held
out, with that obstinate unbelief in the worst which is a part of
strong natures. Only the prisoner and the prisoner's counsel. He
manifested no sorrow and no surprise. Prescott put his stoical
calm