"
Had it been to save his life from the scaffold, he could not have
spoken out boldly and freely that day. There was the bitter shock of
the crime, felt for Hamish's own sake: Hamish whom they had all so
loved, so looked up to: and there was the dread of the consequences to
Mr. Channing in the event of discovery. Had the penalty been hanging, I
believe that Arthur would have gone to it, rather than betray Hamish.
But you must not suppose he did not _feel_ it for himself; there were
moments when he feared lest he should not carry it through.
Mr. Butterby was waiting for a witness--Mr. Galloway himself: and
meanwhile, he entertained the bench with certain scraps, anecdotal and
other, premising what would be proved before them. Jenkins would show
that the prisoner had avowed in his presence, it would take a
twenty-pound note to clear him from his debts, or hard upon it--
"No," interrupted the hitherto silent prisoner, to the surprise of
those present, "that is not true. It is correct that I did make use of
words to that effect, but I spoke them in jest. I and Roland Yorke were
one day speaking of debts, and I jokingly said a twenty-pound note
would pay mine, and leave me something out of it. Jenkins was present,
and he may have supposed I spoke in earnest. In point of fact I did not
owe anything."
It was an assertion more easily made than proved. Arthur Channing might
have large liabilities upon him, for all that appeared in that court to
the contrary.
Pages:
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289