young mother had hardly been able to endure the sense of shame
that overwhelmed her during the progress of the speech of the
counsel. Flushes of crimson swept through her face, at his
insinuations and statements affecting her character, and then the
color faded leaving her deadly white. This was an agony of death
worse than the gallows. She could have cried out, "Take my life--but
spare me this dishonor."

Joe Filmer looked troubled and alarmed; he worked his way to the
back of the bench, where sat the counsel for the defence, and
said: "Old Crock, five guineas--ten, if you'll get her off. Five
from the master, and five from me. And I'll kick that rascal who
has just spoken, as he comes out; I will, be Jiggers!"

CHAPTER XLVIII.

THE VERDICT.

When the counsel for the defense stood up, Mehetabel raised her
shame-stricken face. This man, she knew, would speak a good word
for her--had he not done so already? Had not all his efforts been
directed towards getting out of the witnesses something favorable
to her, and to showing contradictions in their statements which
told against her?

But she looked timidly towards him, and dared not meet the glances
of the crowd in the court. What must they think of her--that she
was an abandoned woman without self-restraint; a disgrace to her
sex, as that young barrister had said.

Again, it must be said, she was accustomed to injustice. She had
been unfairly treated by Susanna Verstage. She had met with cruel
wrong from her husband. By the whole of the Punch-Bowl she had been
received without generosity, without that openness of mind which
should have been manifested towards a stranger claiming its
hospitality. She had not received the kindness that was her due
from her sister-in-law. Even the well-disposed Joe Filmer believed
her to be guilty of murder. But perhaps she could have borne all
this better than the wounding insults offered her by the counsel
for the prosecution, blasting her character before the world.

The barrister engaged to defend her did his utmost, and did it with
ability. He charged the jury not to be deceived into believing that
this was a case of premeditated murder, even if they were satisfied
that Jonas had been killed by the stone carried by the defendant.

As he had brought out by the evidence of the widow Betty Chivers,
and by that of the surgeon, the prisoner had been off her head,
and was not responsible for what she said or did. What more