the foreigner-第16章

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starvation。　　Balked　in　one　of　his　desperate　Nihilist　schemes　by　Rosenblatt；　who　held　a　position　of　trust　under　the　Russian　Government；　he　had　sworn　vengeance；　and　escaping　from　Siberia；　he　had　come　to　Canada　to　make　good　his　oath。　　And　but　for　the　timely　appearance　of　the　police；　he　would　have　succeeded。

Meantime；　Sergeant　Cameron　was　receiving　congratulations　on　all　hands　for　his　cleverness　in　making　the　arrest　of　a　man　who　had　escaped　the　vigilance　of　the　Russian　Police　and　Secret　Service；　said　to　be　the　finest　in　all　Europe。　　In　his　cell；　the　man；　as　good　as　condemned；　waited　his　trial；　a　stranger　far　from　help　and　kindred；　an　object　of　terror　and　of　horror　to　many；　of　compassion　to　a　few。　　But　however　men　thought　of　him；　he　had　sinned　against　British　civilisation；　and　would　now　have　to　taste　of　British　justice。



CHAPTER　VII

CONDEMNED


The　two　months　preceding　the　trial　were　months　of　restless　agony　to　the　prisoner；　Kalmar。　　Day　and　night　he　paced　his　cell　like　a　tiger　in　a　cage；　taking　little　food　and　sleeping　only　when　overcome　with　exhaustion。　　It　was　not　the　confinement　that　fretted　him。　　The　Winnipeg　jail；　with　all　its　defects　and　limitations；　was　a　palace　to　some　that　he　had　known。　　It　was　not　the　fear　of　the　issue　to　his　trial　that　drove　sleep　and　hunger　from　him。　　Death；　exile；　imprisonment；　had　been　too　long　at　his　heels　to　be　strangers　to　him　or　to　cause　him　fear。　　In　his　heart　a　fire　burned。　　Rosenblatt　still　lived；　and　vengeance　had　halted　in　its　pursuit。

But　deep　as　was　the　passion　in　his　heart　for　vengeance；　that　for　his　country　and　his　cause　burned　deeper。　　He　had　been　able　to　establish　lines　of　communication　between　his　fatherland　and　the　new　world　by　means　of　which　the　oppressed；　the　hunted；　might　reach　freedom　and　safety。　　The　final　touches　to　his　plans　were　still　to　be　given。　　Furthermore；　it　was　necessary　that　he　should　make　his　report　in　person；　else　much　of　his　labour　would　be　fruitless。　　It　was　this　that　brought　him　〃white　nights〃　and　black　days。

Every　day　Paulina　called　at　the　jail　and　waited　long　hours　with　uncomplaining　patience　in　the　winter　cold；　till　she　could　be　admitted。　　Her　husband　showed　no　sign　of　interest；　much　less　of　gratitude。　　One　question　alone；　he　asked　day　by　day。

〃The　children　are　well？〃

〃They　are　well；〃　Paulina　would　answer。　　〃They　ask　to　see　you　every　day。〃

〃They　may　not　see　me　here；〃　he　would　reply；　after　which　she　would　turn　away；　her　dull　face　full　of　patient　suffering。

One　item　of　news　she　brought　him　that　gave　him　a　moment's　cheer。

〃Kalman；〃　she　said；　one　day；　〃will　speak　nothing　but　Russian。〃

〃Ha！〃　he　exclaimed。　　〃He　is　my　son　indeed。　　But；〃　he　added　gloomily；〃　of　what　use　now？〃

Others　sought　admission；visitors　from　the　Jail　Mission；　philanthropic　ladies；　a　priest　from　St。　Boniface；　a　Methodist　minister；but　all　were　alike　denied。　　Simon　Ketzel　he　sent　for；　and　with　him　held　long　converse；　with　the　result　that　he　was　able　to　secure　for　his　defence　the　services　of　O'Hara；　the　leading　criminal　lawyer　of　Western　Canada。　　There　appeared　to　be　no　lack　of　money；　and　all　that　money　could　do　was　done。

The　case　began　to　excite　considerable　interest；　not　only　in　the　city；　but　throughout　the　whole　country。　　Public　opinion　was　strongly　against　the　prisoner。　　Never　in　the　history　of　the　new　country　had　a　crime　been　committed　of　such　horrible　and　bloodthirsty　deliberation。　It　is　true　that　this　opinion　was　based　largely　upon　Rosenblatt's　deposition；　taken　by　Sergeant　Cameron　and　Dr。　Wright　when　he　was　supposed　to　be　in　extremis；　and　upon　various　newspaper　interviews　with　him　that　appeared　from　time　to　time。　　The　Morning　News　in　a　trenchant　leader　pointed　out　the　danger　to　which　Western　Canada　was　exposed　from　the　presence　of　these　semibarbarous　peoples　from　Central　and　Southern　Europe；　and　expressed　the　hope　that　the　authorities　would　deal　with　the　present　case　in　such　a　manner　as　would　give　a　severe　but　necessary　lesson　to　the　lawless　among　our　foreign　population。

There　was；　indeed；　from　the　first；　no　hope　of　acquittal。　　Staunton；　who　was　acting　for　the　Crown；　was　convinced　that　the　prisoner　would　receive　the　maximum　sentence　allowed　by　law。　　And　even　O'Hara　acknowledged　privately　to　his　solicitor　that　the　best　he　could　hope　for　was　a　life　sentence。　　〃And；　by　gad！　he　ought　to　get　it！　　It　is　the　most　damnable　case　of　bloody　murder　that　I　have　come　across　in　all　my　practice！〃　　But　this　was　before　Mr。　O'Hara　had　interviewed　Mrs。　Fitzpatrick。

In　his　hunt　for　evidence　Mr。　O'Hara　had　come　upon　his　fellow　countrywoman　in　the　foreign　colony。　　At　first　from　sheer　delight　in　her　rich　brogue　and　her　shrewd　native　wit；　and　afterward　from　the　conviction　that　her　testimony　might　be　turned　to　good　account　on　behalf　of　his　client；　Mr。　O'Hara　diligently　cultivated　Mrs。　Fitzpatrick's　acquaintance。　　It　helped　their　mutual　admiration　and　their　friendship　not　a　little　to　discover　their　common　devotion　to　〃the　cause　o'　the　paythriot　in　dear　owld　Ireland；〃　and　their　mutual　interest　in　the　prisoner　Kalmar；　as　a　fellow　〃paythriot。〃

Immediately　upon　his　discovery　of　the　rich　possibilities　in　Mrs。　Fitzpatrick　Mr。　O'Hara　got　himself　invited　to　drink　a　〃cup　o'　tay；〃　which；　being　made　in　the　little　black　teapot　brought　all　the　way　from　Ireland；　he　pronounced　to　be　the　finest　he　had　had　since　coming　to　Canada　fifteen　years　ago。　　Indeed；　he　declared　that　he　had　serious　doubts　as　to　the　possibilities　of　producing　on　this　side　of　the　water　and　by　people　of　this　country　just　such　tea　as　he　had　been　accustomed　to　drink　in　the　dear　old　land。　　It　was　over　this　cup　of　tea；　and　as　he　drew　from　Mrs。　Fitzpatrick　the　description　of　the　scene　between　the　Nihilist　and　his　children；　that　Mr。　O'Hara　came　to　realise　the　vast　productivity　of　the　mine　he　had　uncovered。　　He　determined　that　Mrs。　Fitzpatrick　should　tell　this　tale　in　court。

〃We'll　bate　that　divil　yet！〃　he　exclaimed　to　his　new…found　friend；　his　brogue　taking　a　richer　flavour　from　his　environment。　　〃They　would　be　having　the　life　of　the　poor　man　for　letting　a　little　of　the　black　blood　out　of　the　black　heart　of　that　traitor　and　blackguard；　and　may　the　divil　fly　away　with　him！　　But　we'll　bate　them　yet；　and　it's　yersilf　is　the　one　to　do　it！〃　he　exclaimed　in　growing　excitement　and　admiration。

At　first　Mrs。　Fitzpatrick　was　most　reluctant　to　appear　in　court。

〃Sure；　what　would　I　do　or　say　in　the　face　av　His　'Anner　an'　the　joorymin；　with　niver　a　word　on　the　tongue　av　me？〃

〃And　would　you　let　the　poor　man　go　to　his　death？〃　cried　O'Hara；　proceeding　to　draw　a　lurid　picture　of　the　deadly　machinations　of　the　lawyer　for　the　Crown；　Rosenblatt　and　their　associates　against　this　unfortunate　patriot　who；　for　love　of　his　country　and　for　the　honour　of　his　name；　had　sought　to　wreak　a　well…merited　vengeance　upon　the　abject　traitor。

Under　his　vehement　eloquence　Mrs。　Fitzpatrick's　Celtic　nature　kindled　into　flame。　　She　would　go　to　the　court；　and　in　the　face　of　Judge　and　jury　and　all　the　rest　of　them；　she　would　tell　them　the　kind　of　man　they　were　about　to　do　to　death。　　Over　and　over　again　O'Hara　had　her　repeat　her　story；　emphasising　with　adjurations；　oaths　and　even　tears；　those　passages　that　his　experience　told　him　would　be　most　effective　for　his　purpose；　till　he　felt　sure　she　would　do　full　credit　to　her　part。

During　the　trial　the　court　room　was　crowded；　not　only　with　the　ordinary　morbid　sensation　seekers；　but　with　some　of　Winnipeg's　most　respectable　citizens。　　In　one　corner　of　the　court　room　there　was　grouped　day　after　day　a　small　company　of　foreigners。　　Every　man　of　Russian　blood　in　the　city　who　could　attend；　was　there。　　It　was　against　the　prisoner's　will　and　desire；　but　in　accordance　with　O'Hara's　plan　of　defence　that　Paulina　and　the　children　should　be　present　at　every　session　of　the　court。　　The　proceedings　were　conducted　through　an　interpreter　where　it　was　necessary；　Kalmar　pleading　ignorance　of　the　niceties　of　the　English　language。

The　prisoner　was　arraigned　on　the　double　charge　of　attempted　murder　in　the　case　of　Rosenblatt；　and　of　manslaughter　in　that　of　the　dead　Polak。　　The　evidence　of　Dr。　Wright　and　of　Sergeant　Cameron；　corroborated　by　that　of　many　eyewitnesses；　established　beyond　a　doubt　that　the　wound　in　Rosenblatt's　breast　an