Penn's championship of George Manners had led her to discover more
formalism in his piety, and northern broadness in his accent, than
before. But these quiet services were my daily comfort in those
troublous days; and in the sweet fresh walk home across the park, my
more than father and I hatched endless conspiracies on George's behalf
between the church porch and the rectory gate. Our chief difficulty, I
confess, lay in the question that the world had by this time so terribly
answered--who did it? If George were innocent, who was guilty? My poor
brother had not been popular, and I do not say that one's mind could not
have fixed on a man more likely to commit the crime than George, under
not less provocation. But it was an awful deed, Nelly, to lay to any
man's charge, even in thought; and no particle of evidence arose to fix
the guilt on any one else, or even to suggest an accomplice. As the time
wore on, suspense became sickening.

"Sir," I said to him one day, "I am breaking down. I have brought some
plants to set in your garden. I wish you would give me something to do
for you. Your shirts to make, your stockings to darn. If I were a poor
woman I should work down my trouble. As it is--"

"Hush!" said the doctor; you are what God has made you. My dear
madam, Janet tells me, what my poor eyes have hardly observed, that my
ruffles are more worn than beseems a doctor in divinity. Now for
myself--"

"Hush!" said I, mimicking him. "My dear sir, you have taught me to plot
and conspire, and this very afternoon I shall hold a secret interview
with Mistress Janet. But say something about my trouble. What will
happen?--How will it end?--What shall we do?"

"My love," he said, "keep heart. I fully believe in his innocence. There
is heavy evidence against him, but there are also some strong points in
his favour; and you must believe that the jury have no object to do
anything but justice, or believe anything but the truth, and that they
will find accordingly. And God defend the right!"

Eleanor!--they found him Guilty.

* * * * *

I have asked Dr. Penn to permit me to make an extract from his journal
in this place. It is less harrowing to copy than to recall. I omit the
pious observations and reflections which grace the original. Comforting
as they are to me, it seems a profanity to make them public; besides, it
is his wish that I should withhold them, which is sufficient.

_From the Dia