I said I would go into
mourning."

"And I should really mourn. And yet were he free to-morrow he would
be no more to me than any other friend."

"Do you mean you would not marry him?"

"No;--I would not. Nor would he ask me. I will tell you what will be
his lot in life,--if he escapes from the present danger."

"Of course he will escape. They don't really hang innocent men."

"Then he will become the husband of Lady Laura Kennedy."

"Poor fellow! If I believed that, I should think it cruel to help him
escape from Newgate."

CHAPTER LV

Phineas in Prison

Phineas Finn himself, during the fortnight in which he was carried
backwards and forwards between his prison and the Bow Street
Police-office, was able to maintain some outward show of manly
dignity,--as though he felt that the terrible accusation and great
material inconvenience to which he was subjected were only, and
could only be, temporary in their nature, and that the truth would
soon prevail. During this period he had friends constantly with
him,--either Mr. Low, or Lord Chiltern, or Barrington Erle, or his
landlord, Mr. Bunce, who, in these days, was very true to him. And he
was very frequently visited by the attorney, Mr. Wickerby, who had
been expressly recommended to him for this occasion. If anybody could
be counted upon to see him through his difficulty it was Wickerby.
But the company of Mr. Wickerby was not pleasant to him, because, as
far as he could judge, Mr. Wickerby did not believe in his innocence.
Mr. Wickerby was willing to do his best for him; was, so to speak,
moving heaven and earth on his behalf; was fully conscious that this
case was a great affair, and in no respect similar to those which
were constantly placed in his hands; but there never fell from him a
sympathetic expression of assurance of his client's absolute freedom
from all taint of guilt in the matter. From day to day, and ten times
a day, Phineas would express his indignant surprise that any one
should think it possible that he had done this deed, but to all these
expressions Mr. Wickerby would make no answer whatever. At last
Phineas asked him the direct question. "I never suspect anybody of
anything," said Mr. Wickerby. "Do you believe in my innocence?"
demanded Phineas. "Everybody is entitled to be believed innocent till
he has been proved to be guilty," said Mr. Wickerby. Then Phineas
appealed to his friend Mr. Low, asking whether he might not be
allowed t