登陆注册
5363000000144

第144章

Thou stand'st here arraign'd, That with presumption impious and accurs'd, Thou hast usurp'd God's high prerogative, Making thy fellow mortal's life and death Wait on thy moody and diseased passions; That with a violent and untimely steel Hath set abroach the blood, that should have ebbed In calm and natural current to sum all In one wild name--a name the pale air freezes at, And every cheek of man sinks in with horror-- Thou art a cold and midnight murderer. MILMAN'S FAZIO . Of all the restless people who found that night's hours agonizing from excess of anxiety, the poor father of the murdered man was perhaps the most restless. He had slept but little since the blow had fallen; his waking hours had been full of agitated thought, which seemed to haunt and pursue him through his unquiet slumbers. And this night of all others was the most sleepless. He turned over and over again in his mind the wonder if everything had been done, that could be done, to ensure the conviction of Jem Wilson. He almost regretted the haste with which he had urged forward the proceedings, and yet, until he had obtained vengeance, he felt as if there were no peace on earth for him (I don't know that he exactly used the term vengeance in his thoughts; he spoke of justice, and probably thought of his desired end as such); no peace, either bodily or mental, for he moved up and down his bedroom with the restless incessant tramp of a wild beast in a cage, and if he compelled his aching limbs to cease for an instant, the twitchings which ensued almost amounted to convulsions, and he recommenced his walk as the lesser evil, and the more bearable fatigue. With daylight, increased power of action came; and he drove off to arouse his attorney, and worry him with further directions and inquiries; and when that was ended, he sat, watch in hand, until the courts should be opened, and the trial begin. What were all the living,--wife or daughters,--what were they in comparison with the dead,--the murdered son who lay unburied still, in compliance with his father's earnest wish, and almost vowed purpose, of having the slayer of his child sentenced to death before he committed the body to the rest of the grave. At nine o'clock they all met at their awful place of rendezvous. The judge, the jury, the avenger of blood, the prisoner, the witnesses--all were gathered together within the building. And besides these were many others, personally interested in some part of the proceedings, in which, however, they took no part; Job Legh, Ben Sturgis, and several others were there, amongst whom was Charley Jones. Job Legh had carefully avoided any questioning from Mrs Wilson that morning.

Indeed, he had not been much in her company, for he had been up early to go out once more to make inquiry for Mary; and when he could hear nothing of her, he had desperately resolved not to undeceive Mrs Wilson, as sorrow never came too late; and if the blow were inevitable, it would be better to leave her in ignorance of the impending evil as long as possible. She took her place in the witness-room, worn and dispirited, but not anxious. As Job struggled through the crowd into the body of the court, Mr Bridgenorth's clerk beckoned to him. "Here's a letter for you from our client!" Job sickened as he took it. He did not know why, but he dreaded a confession of guilt which would be an overthrow of all hope. The letter ran as follows: "DEAR FRIEND,--I thank you heartily for your goodness in finding me a lawyer, but lawyers can do no good to me, whatever they may do to other people.

But I am not the less obliged to you, dear friend. I foresee things will go against me-and no wonder. If I was a juryman I should say the man was guilty as had as much evidence brought against him as may be brought against me to-morrow. So it's no blame to them if they do. But, Job Legh, I think I need not tell you I am as guiltless in this matter as the babe unborn, although it is not in my power to prove it. If I did not believe that you thought me innocent, I could not write as I do now to tell you my wishes.

You'll not forget they are the words of a man shortly to die. Dear friend, you must take care of my mother. Not in the money way, for she will have enough for her and Aunt Alice; but you must let her talk to you of me; and show her that (whatever others may do) you think I died innocent. I don't reckon she'll stay long behind when we are all gone. Be tender with her, Job, for my sake; and if she is a bit fractious at times, remember what she has gone through. I know mother will never doubt me, God bless her. "There is one other whom I fear I have loved too dearly; and yet the loving her has made the happiness of my life. She will think I have murdered her lover; she will think I have caused the grief she must be feeling. And she must go on thinking so. It is hard upon me to say this; but she must .

同类推荐
  • 老子衍

    老子衍

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说蚁喻经

    佛说蚁喻经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 书断

    书断

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 密庵和尚语录

    密庵和尚语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 释氏稽古略序吴兴有大比丘

    释氏稽古略序吴兴有大比丘

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 名门霸爱:暖婚总裁吻上瘾

    名门霸爱:暖婚总裁吻上瘾

    第一次见面,她正大闹前男友的婚礼。在众目睽睽之下,她强吻了他。第二次见面,是在她公司。他说:“你要报复,而我正好需要一个妻子,我们各取所需怎么样?”第三次见面,他带着聘礼而来:“嫁给我舅舅或者嫁给我,你自己选!”新婚夜,某女悲愤不已:“传闻你不是弯的吗?”某男剔着牙意犹未尽:“就在刚才不小心被你掰直了!”
  • 析津志辑佚

    析津志辑佚

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 千手千眼观自在菩萨广大圆满无碍

    千手千眼观自在菩萨广大圆满无碍

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 镜中黑岩

    镜中黑岩

    鬼谷溪云门授徒十二,分别传下暗杀、兵法、国政、纵横四艺。在第十一年的师门全艺比武中,中期重新定义了暗杀一艺: “尺寸之地取人头颅血溅五步乃暗杀下流,战场百步穿杨射杀大将破情夺势乃暗杀中流,而上流无声无形,朝堂为你对决,天下为你牵动,可称为千里暗杀术。” 与此同时,四弟子李虚无创立纵横三定律:两极双生,对立转化,利弊守恒。其中一个推论是,圣者之道即魔道,这个推论给溪云门的未来蒙上了一层阴影。 二人有意避世,却最终未能避免溪云门的分崩离析。这,便是一个圣魔两极的英雄故事,一段关于同门恩仇的历史,也是一场关于千里暗杀的奇谈,一则关于纵横术道的寓言。
  • 幸运的三叶草(原创经典作品)

    幸运的三叶草(原创经典作品)

    善读精品美文,拾取久违的感动;体悟百味人生,感受成长的’陕乐。阅读其间,时而在惊险悬疑的案件中悚然而惊,时雨为体察入微的真情潸然泪下,时而又涌动着想针砭时弊的激情……掩卷而思,人性的美丑,世事的善恶,人生际遇的变幻无常不禁让人感慨万千。
  • 大宋帝皇

    大宋帝皇

    一次醉酒赵吉穿越成了大宋端王赵佶,知道自己多少斤两的赵吉还是决定顺天应命捡个皇帝当当……
  • 女保镖穿越:朕的皇后很大牌

    女保镖穿越:朕的皇后很大牌

    皇后?没兴趣。圣宠?不稀罕。侍寝?不好意思,本宫很忙。本宫千辛万苦地穿过来,可不是为了跟一帮女人争宠的。本宫可有着远大的目标:建立天下最大的保镖组织,赚很多银子,努力扩张势力,最终称霸天下!
  • 顾凉山,爱了你这么多年

    顾凉山,爱了你这么多年

    “我们分手吧。”我低着眼,没敢看他。他吧嗒一声关上厚重的车门,暗沉的俊眸抵了过来,“我们昨天才刚订了婚约,你这就想悔婚?”一年之后,又是同样狭窄的车里,对着他冷硬的眉眼,我笑,笑得身心都疼,“顾凉山,你的心就是一颗硬石头,无论我怎么捂着,也都捂不热,如此,我们为何还要耗下去呢?”言罢,他也笑,只是声音苍凉如冰,“文木,你没有心。”--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 潇雨

    潇雨

    他,是名满江湖、武艺高绝的一代剑侠。她,却只是隐居山林、不问世事的平凡女子。两人的生活本不该有任何交集,缘起却只因那一场美丽的飘摇细雨。多年之后,那场记忆中的雨,终究是缓缓停了。沧海桑田恍若瞬间,他和她又回到一切的起点,终于能抛却所有顾忌,向着彼此,许下相守一生的誓言:青山白雨一壶间,柳岸风堤自搁浅。依榭宿聆风雨来,始知红尘江湖远。
  • 泊魔传

    泊魔传

    一个高中生一睡醒发现自己来到了异界成了一个刚断奶的小孩,从幼稚走到了成熟……