to her own signature. She would not even look at
her own name as written by herself; but had contented herself with
repeating over and over again those few words which she had been
instructed so to say;--the statement namely, that she had never put
her hand to more than one deed.

Then he addressed himself, as he concluded his speech, to that part
of the subject which was more closely personal to Lady Mason herself.
"And now, gentlemen of the jury," he said, "before I can dismiss you
from your weary day's work, I must ask you to regard the position of
the lady who has been thus accused, and the amount of probability of
her guilt which you may assume from the nature of her life. I shall
call no witnesses as to her character, for I will not submit her
friends to the annoyance of those questions which the gentlemen
opposite might feel it their duty to put to them. Circumstances
have occurred--so much I will tell you, and so much no doubt
you all personally know, though it is not in evidence before
you;--circumstances have occurred which would make it cruel on my
part to place her old friend Sir Peregrine Orme in that box. The
story, could I tell it to you, is one full of romance, but full also
of truth and affection. But though Sir Peregrine Orme is not here,
there sits his daughter by Lady Mason's side,--there she has sat
through this tedious trial, giving comfort to the woman that she
loves,--and there she will sit till your verdict shall have made
her further presence here unnecessary. His lordship and my learned
friend there will tell you that you cannot take that as evidence of
character. They will be justified in so telling you; but I, on the
other hand, defy you not to take it as such evidence. Let us make
what laws we will, they cannot take precedence of human nature. There
too sits my client's son. You will remember that at the beginning of
this trial the solicitor-general expressed a wish that he were not
here. I do not know whether you then responded to that wish, but I
believe I may take it for granted that you do not do so now. Had any
woman dear to either of you been so placed through the malice of an
enemy, would you have hesitated to sit by her in her hour of trial?
Had you doubted of her innocence you might have hesitated; for who
could endure to hear announced in a crowded court like this the guilt
of a mother or a wife? But he has no doubt. Nor, I believe, has any
living being in this court,--unless it