Macdermot, even in his drunkenness, than they would have to you or to
me.

"Now as to the probability of the prisoner's having been aware of his
sister's project for eloping, and having made use of that opportunity
for the safe execution of a scheme of murder,--and this perhaps
is the most material point of all; for were there good grounds to
suppose that he knew that this elopement was to take place--that
he took no precautionary steps to prevent it--but that having this
previous knowledge, he rushed out at the time, and killed the man, I
should be very far from telling you that he was perfectly justified,
as I do now. But I must positively maintain that you cannot come to
such a conclusion. It has, to a degree, been proved to you, and will
be so more clearly, that the prisoner had all along shown himself
averse to the intimacy which existed between Ussher and his sister;
it is therefore to be presumed that both of them took every means in
their power to prevent the prisoner from learning their intention;
and there is every reason to suppose they were successful.

"Two persons appear to have been told, as their services were
required, both of whom have been examined before you--the servant
girl and Mr. Frederick Brown. The former has sworn that she mentioned
it to no one, and there is no reason to disbelieve her. The latter
proved himself not so trustworthy. It seems that with that foolish
flippancy which distinguishes him he told his friend's secret to
other friends of his as a good joke. But you must remember that Mr.
Brown's friends were not the prisoner's friends--that they rather
were in such different circles, that what was said in one, would be
very little likely to find its way into the other; and above all,
that those to whom Mr. Brown or his friends communicated it, would
think that the brother was the last person who should be told of it.
Again, had the prisoner known the projected elopement, and intended
to make use of it for the perpetration of a preconcerted murder,
would he--could he have acted as he did? Could he have waited for
such an unexpected accident as his sister's fainting before he drew
near to his victim. His sister had walked down the avenue, and after
waiting some time in the road, returned and sat down upon a fallen
tree; it was whilst so seated that she heard the brother open the
hall-door; had she, as she expected, met her lover at the hour
appointed, they would have been far beyond the