ave no difficulty with their
verdict. A most frightful murder had no doubt been committed in the
dead of the night. A gentleman coming home from his club had been
killed,--probably by the hand of one who had himself moved in the
company of gentlemen. A plot had been made,--had probably been
thought of for days and weeks before,--and had been executed with
extreme audacity, in order that an enemy might be removed. There
could, he thought, be but little doubt that Mr. Bonteen had been
killed by the instrument found in the garden, and if so, he certainly
had not been killed by the prisoner, who could not be supposed to
have carried two bludgeons in his pocket, and whose quarrel with
the murdered man had been so recent as to have admitted of no
preparation. They had heard the story of Mr. Meager's grey coat, and
of the construction of the duplicate key for Mr. Meager's house-door.
It was not for him to tell them on the present occasion whether these
stories, and the evidence by which they had been supported, tended
to affix guilt elsewhere. It was beyond his province to advert to
such probability or possibility; but undoubtedly the circumstances
might be taken by them as an assistance, if assistance were needed,
in coming to a conclusion on the charge against the prisoner.
"Gentlemen," he said at last, "I think you will find no difficulty in
acquitting the prisoner of the murder laid to his charge," whereupon
the jurymen put their heads together; and the foreman, without half
a minute's delay, declared that they were unanimous, and that they
found the prisoner Not Guilty. "And we are of opinion," said the
foreman, "that Mr. Finn should not have been put upon his trial on
such evidence as has been brought before us."

The necessity of liberating poor Phineas from the horrors of his
position was too urgent to allow of much attention being given at
the moment to this protest. "Mr. Finn," said the judge, addressing
the poor broken wretch, "you have been acquitted of the odious and
abominable charge brought against you, with the concurrence, I am
sure, not only of those who have heard this trial, but of all your
countrymen and countrywomen. I need not say that you will leave that
dock with no stain on your character. It has, I hope, been some
consolation to you in your misfortune to hear the terms in which
you have been spoken of by such friends as they who came here to
give their testimony on your behalf. It is, and it has bee