登陆注册
15445900000003

第3章 Miss Westerfield's Education(3)

The first man who spoke began at the middle of the story told by the witnesses in court. "I am for acquitting the captain, gentlemen; he ordered out the boats, and saved the lives of the crew."--"And I am for finding him guilty, because the ship struck on a rock in broad daylight, and in moderate weather."--"I agree with you, sir. The evidence shows that the vessel was steered dangerously near to the land, by direction of the captain, who gave the course."--"Come, come, gentlemen! let us do the captain justice. The defense declares that he gave the customary course, and that it was not followed when he left the deck. As for his leaving the ship in moderate weather, the evidence proves that he believed he saw signs of a storm brewing."--"Yes, yes, all very well, but what were the facts? When the loss of the ship was reported, the Brazilian authorities sent men to the wreck, on the chance of saving the cargo; and, days afterward, there the ship was found, just as the captain and the crew had left her."--"Don't forget, sir, that the diamonds were missing when the salvors examined the wreck."--"All right, but that's no proof that the captain stole the diamonds; and, before they had saved half the cargo, a storm did come on and break the vessel up; so the poor man was only wrong in the matter of time, after all."--"Allow me to remind you, gentlemen that the prisoner was deeply in debt, and therefore had an interest in stealing the diamonds."--Wait a little, sir. Fair play's a jewel. Who was in charge of the deck when the ship struck? The second mate. And what did the second mate do, when he heard that his owners had decided to prosecute? He committed suicide! Is there no proof of guilt in that act?"--"You are going a little too fast, sir. The coroner's jury declared that the second mate killed himself in a state of temporary insanity."--"Gently! gently! we have nothing to do with what the coroner's jury said. What did the judge say when he summed up?"--"Bother the judge! He said what they all say: 'Find the prisoner guilty, if you think he did it; and find him not guilty, if you think he didn't.' And then he went away to his comfortable cup of tea in his private room. And here are We perishing of hunger, and our families dining without us."--"Speak for yourself, sir, _I_ haven't got a family."--"Consider yourself lucky, sir; _I_ have got twelve, and my life is a burden to me, owing to the difficulty of making both ends meet."--"Gentlemen! gentlemen! we are wandering again. Is the captain guilty or not?

Mr. Foreman, we none of us intended to offend you. Will you tell us what _you_ think?"

No; the foreman kept his word. "Decide for yourselves first," was his only reply.

In this emergency, the member afflicted with fidgets suddenly assumed a position of importance. He started a new idea.

"Suppose we try a show of hands," he suggested. "Gentlemen who find the prisoner guilty will please hold up their hands."

Three votes were at once registered in this way, including the vote of the foreman. After a moment of doubt, the chorus of five decided on following the opinion which happened to be the first opinion expressed in point of time. Thereupon, the show of hands for the condemnation of the prisoner rose to eight. Would this result have an effect on the undecided minority of four? In any case, they were invited to declare themselves next. Only three hands were held up. One incomprehensible man abstained from expressing his sentiments even by a sign. Is it necessary to say who that man was? A mysterious change had now presented itself in his appearance, which made him an object of greater interest than ever. His inexplicable smile had vanished. He sat immovable, with closed eyes. Was he meditating profoundly? or was he only asleep?

The quick-witted foreman had long since suspected him of being simply the stupidest person present--with just cunning enough to conceal his own dullness by holding his tongue. The jury arrived at no such sensible conclusion. Impressed by the intense solemnity of his countenance, they believed him to be absorbed in reflections of the utmost importance to the verdict. After a heated conference among themselves, they decided on inviting the one independent member present--the member who had taken no part in their proceedings--to declare his opinion in the plainest possible form. "Which way does your view of the verdict incline, sir? Guilty or not guilty?"

The eyes of the silent juryman opened with the slow and solemn dilation of the eyes of an owl. Placed between the alternatives of declaring himself in one word or in two, his taciturn wisdom chose the shortest form of speech. "Guilty," he answered--and shut his eyes again, as if he had had enough of it already.

An unutterable sense of relief pervaded the meeting. Enmities were forgotten and friendly looks were exchanged. With one accord, the jury rose to return to court. The prisoner's fate was sealed. The verdict was Guilty."

2.--The Sentence.

The low hum of talk among the persons in court ceased when the jury returned to their places. Curiosity now found its center of attraction in the prisoner's wife--who had been present throughout the trial. The question of the moment was: How will she bear the interval of delay which precedes the giving of the verdict?

同类推荐
  • 旧京琐记

    旧京琐记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 比丘受戒录

    比丘受戒录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 补张灵崔莹合传

    补张灵崔莹合传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • A Dark Night's Work

    A Dark Night's Work

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 明画录

    明画录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 景城夜微凉

    景城夜微凉

    本文将会将会讲述在一个架空的历史朝代,发生的一件爱情传奇故事。文章涉及较为广阔,军事,朝政,家族,战争,国家,后宫……均会涉及。小迟尽力不让各位感到混乱,对于文章有什么好的建议或者存在不足,希望各位看官能够提出。谢谢!
  • 星羽战境

    星羽战境

    银河纪元2160年人类在外太空LTE-32星云发现了一种神秘物质——魔晶(一种含有高能粒子能量的晶状体物质)。2180年人类已经全面了解了这种新兴能源,但发射前往的探测器探明由于特殊的不明原因魔晶只存在LTE-32星云,最终由于资源有限各大银河势力开始大量囤积魔晶,世界局势开始变得复杂起来。2196年LET-32的魔晶矿银河联合开采委员会突然发布了枯竭的消息...与此同时,银河帝国散布在LTE-32周边的探测器无意中发现一支从未见过的外星舰队出项在了魔晶矿星的外层空间。银河帝国封锁了这一足以震惊整个人类世界的消息并秘密派遣先遣舰队准备去联系他们,一场改变人类世界的风暴即将来临。
  • 倒追男神:我想给你写部书

    倒追男神:我想给你写部书

    她身为一个文学系妹子,一直都有着一个伟大的理想。辣就是写一部小言并且能够拍成电影。不要笑严肃点。这是一个很严肃的事。不过为什么她好不容易找到的男主人选那么难追呢。人家只是想把你追到手,让你配合我好好写本书没有恶意的。最后一切都如她所愿,可没想到他居然得知了真相,而她也偷偷地离开了。毫无音讯地消失了三年。三年可以改变很多,她变了,他亦是。她以为他们之间再无感情,他以为一切都可以挽回。但一段支离破碎的爱情,又能经历多少磨难。她说:“我相信一见钟情,却不敢对你一见钟情,可最后还是对你日久生情。”他说:“我不相信一见钟情,我只相信你。”
  • 情迷小三:如果爱

    情迷小三:如果爱

    【原创作者社团『未央』出品】在这个纸醉金迷的世界中,‘小三’似乎已经成了正当职业,你情,我愿;你钱,我赚;我的青春我做主!我是小三,决不要爱情……但,如果爱已经来势汹汹的闯入生活中,那故事又将如何发展?敬请期待……
  • 冷血公主复仇遇上邪魅校草

    冷血公主复仇遇上邪魅校草

    大家好我是千羽冉,是千羽惜的小号,你们如果想看千羽惜写的那篇小说接下来的事,就看这个吧。谢谢她们因为复仇而走到一起,她冷艳妩媚,她性感泼辣,她俏皮可爱,他冷酷无情,他玩世不恭,他温柔到爆,他们会发生爱的火花吗?.......
  • 特工逆天:邪王滚远点

    特工逆天:邪王滚远点

    她是二十一世纪的最强杀手组织的一等杀手【沫】,却被作战十几年的男友所害。她是雪莹大陆的夜家嫡系五小姐,本来可以享受万千宠爱,却因为天生是个废材而被父亲抛弃在无人过问的破屋里。而她变成她,看她怎么震惊天下人。。说她废材,拥有全世界最牛叉的十五根灵根。睁开你们的狗眼给老娘看看,说她无用,琴棋书画样样精通。说她丑陋,美得连京城第一美女弄来当穿鞋的都不配。他是离国的三皇子,装疯卖傻,丑陋至极。丑陋的外表下隐藏着倾城倾国的容貌,天下无人能敌的天赋。(除沫外)不屑于她人,却独独爱上了她。看他们如何逆转天下!
  • 桐飞青春

    桐飞青春

    她对他的爱充满了专横与狠毒,有人会说青梅不一定就要竹马,多角恋本应在电视剧里上演,却落到了他们身上,你是会选择向往的两小无猜,还是要选择一场轰轰烈烈的单恋,别人只羡慕你背后耀眼的光芒,又有谁曾数落过你心底的哀伤。。。
  • 爱上离婚女人

    爱上离婚女人

    凌玲,一个离婚女人,带着女儿净身出户。前夫的处处为难,让她难以生存。段氏集团的少东段子龙,因为无聊,想着改造好友的前妻凌玲,让她成为一个自信的成功女人,让她恢复婚前的容貌,让好友后悔离婚。没想到在不知不觉中,他居然爱上了好友的前妻,一个后悔的游戏,后悔的人不止是好友还有他自己。广告界龙头老大莫少杰,扬名国际的服装设计师石臣,相继出现在她离婚后的生命里,以及前夫的后悔乞求。一个离婚女人与四个男人的情感纠缠。谁是她的情感归处?她还能相信爱情吗?
  • 相思谋:妃常难娶

    相思谋:妃常难娶

    某日某王府张灯结彩,婚礼进行时,突然不知从哪冒出来一个小孩,对着新郎道:“爹爹,今天您的大婚之喜,娘亲让我来还一样东西。”说完提着手中的玉佩在新郎面前晃悠。此话一出,一府宾客哗然,然当大家看清这小孩与新郎如一个模子刻出来的面容时,顿时石化。此时某屋顶,一个绝色女子不耐烦的声音响起:“儿子,事情办完了我们走,别在那磨矶,耽误时间。”新郎一看屋顶上的女子,当下怒火攻心,扔下新娘就往女子所在的方向扑去,吼道:“女人,你给本王站住。”一场爱与被爱的追逐正式开始、、、、、、、
  • 网游魔法门之英雄无敌

    网游魔法门之英雄无敌

    韩风——一个普通的无业人员,一个网络游戏的老鸟,再发现了这个“网游魔法门之英雄无敌”游戏后,很巧的事,是韩风正好刚刚没有了工作,再这种情况下,韩风进入了游戏……