who did not
_know_ that although he had undergone the ceremony, it never was intended
that his life should be sacrificed. On the table lay a Testament, but
there were no tokens of its having been in recent use.

In the press-room below, were three men, the nature of whose offence
rendered it necessary to separate them, even from their companions in
guilt. It is a long, sombre room, with two windows sunk into the stone
wall, and here the wretched men are pinioned on the morning of their
execution, before moving towards the scaffold. The fate of one of these
prisoners was uncertain; some mitigatory circumstances having come to
light since his trial, which had been humanely represented in the proper
quarter. The other two had nothing to expect from the mercy of the
crown; their doom was sealed; no plea could be urged in extenuation of
their crime, and they well knew that for them there was no hope in this
world. 'The two short ones,' the turnkey whispered, 'were dead men.'

The man to whom we have alluded as entertaining some hopes of escape, was
lounging, at the greatest distance he could place between himself and his
companions, in the window nearest to the door. He was probably aware of
our approach, and had assumed an air of courageous indifference; his face
was purposely averted towards the window, and he stirred not an inch
while we were present. The other two men were at the upper end of the
room. One of them, who was imperfectly seen in the dim light, had his
back towards us, and was stooping over the fire, with his right arm on
the mantel-piece, and his head sunk upon it. The other was leaning on
the sill of the farthest window. The light fell full upon him, and
communicated to his pale, haggard face, and disordered hair, an
appearance which, at that distance, was ghastly. His cheek rested upon
his hand; and, with his face a little raised, and his eyes wildly staring
before him, he seemed to be unconsciously intent on counting the chinks
in the opposite wall. We passed this room again afterwards. The first
man was pacing up and down the court with a firm military step--he had
been a soldier in the foot-guards--and a cloth cap jauntily thrown on one
side of his head. He bowed respectfully to our conductor, and the salute
was returned. The other two still remained in the positions we have
described, and were as motionless as statues. {165}

A few paces up the yard, and forming a continuation of the b