anny sprang into the room, exclaiming--

"My father--my father!" and flinging her arms around his neck; "oh,
what is it?--what is it?" she continued, breathless, and her voice
choked with sobbing--"what do they say that you have done?"

"Nothing, love--nothing," said he endeavouring to be calm; "it is some
mistake, but some one shall answer for it."

His daughter's arms were forcibly torn from around his neck; and he
was taken before a neighbouring magistrate, by whom the deposition of
Captain Hartley had been received. Harry was that morning committed to
the county prison on a charge of murder. I shall neither attempt to
describe his feelings, nor will I dwell upon the agony which was worse
than death to his poor daughter. She knew her father innocent; but she
knew not his accusers, nor the nature of the evidence which they would
bring forward to prove him guilty of the crime which they imputed to
him.

But the fearful day of trial came. Harry Teasdale was placed at the
bar. The principal witness against him was Captain Hartley. The colour
came and went upon the prisoner's cheeks, as his eye fell upon the
face of his accuser. He seemed struggling with sudden emotion; and
many who observed it took it as a testimony of guilt. In his evidence
Captain Hartley deposed, that he and a part of his crew came upon the
smugglers on the beach, while in the act of concealing their goods;
that he, and the seaman who was murdered by his side, having attacked
three of the smugglers, the tallest of the three, whom he believed to
be the prisoner, with a knife gave the mortal stab to the deceased;
that he raised the weapon also against him, and that he only escaped
the fate of his companion by striking down the arm of the smuggler,
and wrenching the knife from his hands, who then escaped. He also
stated that, on examining the knife, which was of great length, he
read the words, "HARRY TEASDALE," which were deeply burned into its
bone handle, and which led to the apprehension of the prisoner. The
knife was then produced in court, and a murmur of horror ran through
the multitude.

Other witnesses were examined, who proved that, on the day of the
murder, they had seen the knife in the hands of the prisoner; and the
counsel for the prosecution, in remarking on the evidence, pronounced
it to be

"Confirmation strong as holy writ."

The judge inquired of the prisoner if he had anything to say, or aught
to bring forward in his defe