Besides, I should loathe, for myself, to
resort to any such expedients."
"But she may do so much harm. And you?"
"I am prepared to meet what comes!"
"Strange infatuation! that she should believe you to be--I will not
wrong you by finishing the sentence."
"She does not at heart believe me guilty--her mind is in a storm. She is
bound by her oath to act upon the evidence rather than upon her own
feelings, and that evidence is much stronger against me, Paul, than you
have any idea of. Come into my study, and I will tell you the whole
story."
And Paul followed him thither.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
UPON CHARGE OF MURDER.
Some hours later in that day Colonel Thornton was sitting, in his
capacity of police magistrate, in his office at C----. The room was
occupied by about a dozen persons, men and women, black and white. He
had just got through with one or two petty cases of debt or theft, and
had up before him a poor, half-starved "White Herring," charged with
sheep-stealing, when the door opened and a young girl, closely veiled,
entered and took a seat in the farthest corner from the crowd. The case
of the poor man was soon disposed of--the evidence was not positive--the
compassionate magistrate leaned to the side of mercy, and the man was
discharged, and went home most probably to dine upon mutton.
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