gentleman. But the lawyer shook his head with most professional
uncertainty at every step of his own narration of the case, and soon
convinced Ralph that he really stood in a very awkward predicament. He
described the situation of the body of Forrester when found; the bloody
dirk which lay beside it, having the initials of his name plainly carved
upon it; his midnight flight; his close companionship with Forrester on
the evening of the night in which he had been murdered--a fact proved by
old Allen and his family; the intimate freedom with which Forrester had
been known to confide his purposes to the youth, deducible from the
joint call which they had made upon the sweetheart of the former; and
many other smaller details, unimportant in themselves, but linked
together with the rest of the particulars, strengthening the chain of
circumstances against him to a degree which rendered it improbable that
he should escape conviction.

Pippin sought, however, to console his client, and, after the first
development of particulars, the natural buoyancy of the youth returned.
He was not disposed readily to despair, and his courage and confidence
rose with the pressure of events. He entered into a plain story of all
the particulars of his flight--the instrumentality of Miss Munro in that
transaction, and which she could explain, in such a manner as to do away
with any unfavorable impression which that circumstance, of itself,
might create. Touching the dagger, he could say nothing. He had
discovered its loss, but knew not at what time he had lost it. The
manner in which it had been found was, of course, fatal, unless the fact
which he alleged of its loss could be established; and of this the
consulting parties saw no hope. Still, they did not despair, but
proceeded to the task of preparing the defence for the day of trial,
which was at hand. The technical portions of the case were managed by
the lawyer, who issued his subpoenas--made voluminous notes--wrote out
the exordium of his speech--and sat up all night committing it to
memory.

Having done all that the occasion called for in his interview with
Ralph, the lawyer proceeded to visit, uncalled-for, one whom he
considered a far greater criminal than his client. The cell to which the
luckless pedler, Bunce, had been carried, was not far from that of the
former, and the rapid step of the lawyer soon overcame the distance
between.

Never was man seemingly so glad to see his neig