ly to be
those of a rational being; he passionately affirmed her innocence with
delirious repetition and emphasis, which produced on the minds of the
examiners the contrary effect to that which he endeavored to create.

"This priest knows that she is guilty," thought the president. "He knows
it. Perhaps he knows even more: perhaps he was her accomplice."

His evidence, his aspect, his wild and contradictory words, did as much
harm to her cause as he ignorantly strove to do good. From other
witnesses of Marca the judge had learned that a great friendship had
always been seen to exist between the vicar of San Bartolo and Generosa
Fe, and that on the morning when the murder was discovered the priest
had removed the body of the dead man to the sacristy, forestalling the
officers of justice, and disturbing the scene of the murder. A strong
impression against him was created beforehand in the audience and on the
bench; and his pallid, agitated countenance, his incoherent words, his
wild eyes, which incessantly sought the face of the prisoner, all gave
him the appearance of a man conscious of some guilt himself, and driven
out of his mind by fear. The president cross-examined him without mercy,
censured him, railed at him, and did his uttermost to extract the truth
which he believed that Gesualdo concealed; but to no avail: incoherent
and half insane as he seemed, he said no syllable which could betray
that which he really knew. Only when his eyes rested on Generosa there
was such an agony in them that she herself was startled by it.

"Who would ever have dreamt that he would care so much?" she thought.
"But he was always a tender soul; he always pitied the birds in the
traps, and the oxen that went to the slaughter."

Reproved and censured without stint, for the president knew that to
insult a priest was to merit promotion in high quarters, Gesualdo was at
last permitted to escape from his place of torture. Blind and sick he
got away through the crowd, past the officials, down the stairs, and out
into the hot air. The piazza was thronged with people who could not find
standing-room in the court-house. The murmur of their rapid and loud
voices was like the noise of a sea on his ears; they had all the same
burden. They all repeated like one man the same words, "They will
condemn her," and then wondered what sentence she would
receive,--whether a score of years of seclusion, or a lifetime.

Gesualdo went through the chatteri