fectly conversant with his
own history, and as it were by intuition seems acquainted with his
very thoughts and motives. Tracing out not only a line of acting but
of devising, he conceives a story of which the accused is the hero, and
invests his narrative with all the appliances to belief which result
from time and place and circumstance. No wonder that the very accusation
should strike terror into the soul; no wonder that the statement of
guilt should cause heart-sinking to him who, conscious that all is not
untrue, may feel that his actions can be viewed in another and very
different light to that which conscience sheds over them.

Such, so far as I remember, was the channel of my thoughts. At first
mere astonishment at the accuracy of detail regarding my name, age,
and condition in life, was uppermost; and then succeeded a sense of
indignant anger at the charges laid against me; which yielded gradually
to a feeling of confusion as the advocate continued; which again merged
into a sort of dubious fear as I heard many trivial facts repeated,
some of which my refreshed memory acknowledged as true, but of which
my puzzled brain could not detect the inapplicability to sustain the
accusation,--all ending in a chaos of bewilderment, where conscience
itself was lost, and nothing left to guide or direct the reason.

The counsel informed the jury that, although they were not placed in the
box to try me on any charge of a political offence, they must bear in
mind, that the murderous assault of which I was accused was merely part
of a system organized to overthrow the Government; that, young as I then
was, I was in intimate connection with the disaffected party which the
mistaken leniency of the Crown had not thoroughly eradicated on the
termination of the late rebellion, my constant companion being one whose
crimes were already undergoing their but too merciful punishment in
transportation for life; that, to tamper with the military, I had
succeeded in introducing myself into the barrack, where I obtained the
confidence of a weak-minded but good-natured officer of the regiment.

"These schemes," continued he, "were but partially successful. My
distinguished client was then an officer of the corps; and with that
ever-watchful loyalty which has distinguished him, he determined to keep
a vigilant eye on this intruder, who, from circumstances of youth and
apparent innocence, already had won upon the confidence of the majority
of