minor particulars in which
the two confessions failed to corroborate each other. For the rest, our
defense on this occasion was, as to essentials, what our defense had
been at the inquiry before the magistrate. Once more the judges
consulted, and once more they overruled our objection. The confessions
were admitted in evidence. On their side, the prosecution produced one
new witness in support of their case. It is needless to waste time in
recapitulating his evidence. He contradicted himself gravely on
cross-examination. We showed plainly, and after investigation proved,
that he was not to be believed on his oath.

The chief-justice summed up.

He charged, in relation to the confessions, that no weight should be
attached to a confession incited by hope or fear; and he left it to the
jury to determine whether the confessions in this case had been so
influenced. In the course of the trial, it had been shown for the
defense that the sheriff and the governor of the prison had told
Ambrose, with his father's knowledge and sanction, that the case was
clearly against him; that the only chance of sparing his family the
disgrace of his death by public execution lay in making a confession;
and that they would do their best, if he did confess, to have his
sentence commuted to imprisonment for life. As for Silas, he was proved
to have been beside himself with terror when he made his abominable
charge against his brother. We had vainly trusted to the evidence on
these two points to induce the court to reject the confessions: and we
were destined to be once more disappointed in anticipating that the
same evidence would influence the verdict of the jury on the side of
mercy. After an absence of an hour, they returned into court with a
verdict of "Guilty" against both the prisoners.

Being asked in due form if they had anything to say in mitigation of
their sentence, Ambrose and Silas solemnly declared their innocence,
and publicly acknowledged that their respective confessions had been
wrung from them by the hope of escaping the hangman's hands. This
statement was not noticed by the bench. The prisoners were both
sentenced to death.

On my return to the farm, I did not see Naomi. Miss Meadowcroft
informed her of the result of the trial. Half an hour later, one of the
women-servants handed to me an envelope bearing my name on it in
Naomi's handwriting.

The envelope inclosed a letter, and with it a slip of paper on which
Naomi