poor miss finch-第13章

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conclusion　on　the　evidence　was　irresistible。　Mr。　Dubourg　stood　convicted
of　having　been　in　the　field　at　the　time　when　the　murder　was　committed；　of
having；　by　his　own　admission；　had　a　quarrel　with　the　murdered　man；　not
long　before；　terminating　in　an　assault　and　a　threat　on　his　side；　and；
lastly；　of　having　attempted　to　set　up　an　alibi　by　a　false　statement　of
the　question　of　time。　There　was　no　alternative　but　to　commit　him　to　take
his　trial　at　the　Assizes；　charged　with　the　murder　of　the　builder　in
Pardon's　Piece。

The　trial　occupied　two　days。

No　new　facts　of　importance　were　discovered　in　the　interval。　The　evidence
followed　the　course　which　it　had　taken　at　the　preliminary
examinationswith　this　difference　only；　that　it　was　more　carefully
sifted。　Mr。　Dubourg　had　the　double　advantage　of　securing　the　services　of
the　leading　barrister　on　the　circuit；　and　of　moving　the　irrepressible
sympathies　of　the　jury；　shocked　at　his　position　and　eager　for　proof　of
his　innocence。　By　the　end　of　the　first　day；　the　evidence　had　told　against
him　with　such　irresistible　force；　that　his　own　counsel　despaired　of　the
result。　When　the　prisoner　took　his　place　in　the　dock　on　the　second　day；
there　was　but　one　conviction　in　the　minds　of　the　people　in
courteverybody　said；　The　clock　will　hang　him。〃

It　was　nearly　two　in　the　afternoon；　and　the　proceedings　were　on　the　point
of　being　adjourned　for　half　an　hour；　when　the　attorney　for　the　prisoner
was　seen　to　hand　a　paper　to　the　counsel　for　the　defense。

The　counsel　rose；　showing　signs　of　agitation　which　roused　the　curiosity
of　the　audience。　He　demanded　the　immediate　hearing　of　a　new　witness；
whose　evidence　in　the　prisoner's　favor　he　declared　to　be　too　important　to
be　delayed　for　a　single　moment。　After　a　short　colloquy　between　the　judge
and　the　banisters　on　either　side；　the　court　decided　to　continue　the
sitting。

The　witness；　appearing　in　the　box；　proved　to　be　a　young　woman；　in
delicate　health。　On　the　evening　when　the　prisoner　had　paid　his　visit　to
the　lady；　she　was　in　that　lady's　service　as　housemaid。　The　day　after；　she
had　been　permitted　（by　previous　arrangement　with　her　mistress）　to　take　a
week's　holiday；　and　to　go　on　a　visit　to　her　parents；　in　the　west　of
Cornwall。　While　there；　she　had　fallen　ill；　and　had　not　been　strong　enough
since　to　return　to　her　employment。　Having　given　this　preliminary　account
of　herself；　the　housemaid　then　stated　the　following　extraordinary
particulars　in　relation　to　her　mistress's　clock。

On　the　morning　of　the　day　when　Mr。　Dubourg　had　called　at　the　house；　she
had　been　cleaning　the　mantelpiece。　She　had　rubbed　the　part　of　it　which
was　under　the　clock　with　her　duster；　had　accidentally　struck　the
pendulum；　and　had　stopped　it。　Having　once　before　done　this；　she　had　been
severely　reproved。　Fearing　that　a　repetition　of　the　offense；　only　the　day
after　the　clock　had　been　regulated　by　the　maker；　might　lead　perhaps　to
the　withdrawal　of　her　leave　of　absence；　she　had　determined　to　put　matters
right　again；　if　possible；　by　herself。

After　poking　under　the　clock　in　the　dark；　and　failing　to　set　the　pendulum
going　again　properly　in　that　way；　she　next　attempted　to　lift　the　clock；
and　give　it　a　shake。　It　was　set　in　a　marble　case；　with　a　bronze　figure　on
the　top；　and　it　was　so　heavy　that　she　was　obliged　to　hunt　for　something
which　she　could　use　as　a　lever。　The　thing　proved　to　be　not　easy　to　find
on　the　spur　of　the　moment。　Having　at　last　laid　her　hand　on　what　she
wanted；　she　contrived　so　to　lift　the　clock　a　few　inches　and　drop　it　again
on　the　mantelpiece；　as　to　set　it　going　once　more。

The　next　necessity　was　of　course　to　move　the　hands　on。　Here　again　she　was
met　by　an　obstacle。　There　was　a　difficulty　in　opening　the　glass…case
which　protected　the　dial。　After　uselessly　searching　for　some　instrument
to　help　her；　she　got　from　the　footman　（without　telling　him　what　she
wanted　it　for）　a　small　chisel。　With　this；　she　opened　the　caseafter
accidentally　scratching　the　brass　frame　of　itand　set　the　hands　of　the
clock　by　guess。　She　was　flurried　at　the　time；　fearing　that　her　mistress
would　discover　her。　Later　in　the　day；　she　found　that　she　had
over…estimated　the　interval　of　time　that　had　passed　while　she　was　trying
to　put　the　clock　right。　She　had；　in　fact；　set　it　exactly　_a　quarter　of　an
hour　too　fast。_

No　safe　opportunity　of　secretly　putting　the　clock　right　again　had
occurred；　until　the　last　thing　at　night。　She　had　then　moved　the　hands
back　to　the　right　time。　At　the　hour　of　the　evening　when　Mr。　Dubourg　had
called　on　her　mistress；　she　positively　swore　that　the　clock　was　a　quarter
of　an　hour　too　fast。　It　had　pointed；　as　her　mistress　had　declared；　to
twenty…five　minutes　to　ninethe　right　time　then　being；　as　Mr。　Dubourg
had　asserted；　twenty　minutes　past　eight。

Questioned　why　she　had　refrained　from　giving　this　extraordinary　evidence
at　the　inquiry　before　the　magistrate；　she　declared　that　in　the　remote
Cornish　village　to　which　she　had　gone　the　next　day；　and　in　which　her
illness　had　detained　her　from　that　time；　nobody　had　heard　of　the　inquiry
or　the　trial。　She　would　not　have　been　then　present　to　state　the　vitally
important　circumstances　to　which　she　had　just　sworn；　if　the　prisoner's
twin…brother　had　not　found　her　out　on　the　previous　dayhad　not
questioned　her　if　she　knew　anything　about　the　clockand　had　not　（hearing
what　she　had　to　tell）　insisted　on　her　taking　the　journey　with　him　to　the
court　the　next　morning。

This　evidence　virtually　decided　the　trial。　There　was　a　great　burst　of
relief　in　the　crowded　assembly　when　the　woman's　statement　had　come　to　an
end。

She　was　closely　cross…examined　as　a　matter　of　course。　Her　character　was
inquired　into；　corroborative　evidence　（relating　to　the　chisel　and　the
scratches　on　the　frame）　was　sought　for　and　was　obtained。　The　end　of　it
was　that；　at　a　late　hour　on　the　second　evening；　the　jury　acquitted　the
prisoner；　without　leaving　their　box。　It　was　not　too　much　to　say　that　his
life　had　been　saved　by　his　brother。　His　brother　alone　had　persisted；　from
first　to　last；　in　obstinately　disbelieving　the　clockfor　no　better
reason　than　that　the　clock　was　the　witness　which　asserted　the　prisoner's
guilt！　He　had　worried　everybody　with　incessant　inquirieshe　had
discovered　the　absence　of　the　housemaid；　after　the　trial　had　begunand
he　had　started　off　to　interrogate　the　girl；　knowing　nothing；　and
suspecting　nothing；　simply　determined　to　persist　in　the　one　everlasting
question　with　which　he　persecuted　everybody　belonging　to　the　house：　〃The
clock　is　going　to　hang　my　brother；　can　you　tell　me　anything　about　the
clock？〃

Four　months　later；　the　mystery　of　the　crime　was　cleared　up。　One　of　the
disreputable　companions　of　the　murdered　man　confessed　on　his　death…bed
that　he　had　done　the　deed。　There　was　nothing　interesting　or　remarkable　in
the　circumstances。　Chance　which　had　put　innocence　in　peril；　had　offered
impunity　to　guilt。　An　infamous　woman；　a　jealous　quarrel；　and　an　absence
at　the　moment　of　witnesses　on　the　spotthese　were　really　the　commonplace
materials　which　had　composed　the　tragedy　of　Pardon's　Piece。

CHAPTER　THE　NINTH

The　Hero　of　the　Trial

〃You　have　forced　it　out　of　me。　Now　you　have　had　your　way；　never　mind　my
feelingsGo！〃

Those　were　the　first　words　the　Hero　of　the　Trial　said　to　me；　when　he　was
able　to　speak　again！　He　withdrew　with　a　curious　sullen　resignation　to　the
farther　end　of　the　room。　There　he　stood　looking　at　me；　as　a　man　might
have　looked　who　carried　some　contagion　about　him；　and　who　wished　to
preserve　a　healthy　fellow…creature　from　the　peril　of　touching　him。

〃Why　should　I　go？〃　I　asked。

〃You　are　a　bold　woman；〃　he　said；　〃to　remain　in　the　same　room　with　a　man
who　has　been　pointed　at　as　a　murderer；　and　who　has　been　tried　for　his
life。〃

The　same　unhealthy　state　of　mind　which　had　brought　him　to　Dimchurch；　and
which　had　led　him　to　speak　to　me　as　he　had　spoken　on　the　previous
evening；　was；　as　I　understood　it；　now　irritating　him　against　me　as　a
person　who　had　made　his　own　quick　temper　the　means　of　entrapping　him　into
letting　out　the　truth。　How　was　I　to　deal　with　a　man　in　this　condition？　I
decided　to　perform　the　feat　which　you　call　in　England；　〃taking　the　bull
by　the　horns。〃

〃I