CHAPTER V.
THE TRIAL.
Early in the morning, and almost before she was awake, an officer cameto Mary's cell to bring her forth for trial. At the sight of the roomin which the court was held she trembled, and her fears returned.Sitting in a large scarlet chair was the judge. Before him a clerkstood at an enormous table covered with papers.
A number of questions were put to Mary, to all of which she answeredtruthfully. She found it impossible to keep back her tears, butpersisted in declaring her innocence of the crime.
"It is useless to try to make me believe this," said the judge. "Youwere the only one to enter the room where the ring was. No one but youcould have taken it. You had better acknowledge the truth."
"It is the truth I speak now," replied Mary. "I cannot speak anythingelse. I have not seen the ring, indeed I have not."
"The ring was seen in your hands," continued the judge; "have youanything to say now?"
Mary declared that this was impossible. Turning to his side, the judgerang a little bell, and Amelia's maid, Juliette, was brought in. In thefit of jealousy which she had felt because of the dress given to Mary,and in her anxiety to deprive Mary of her mistress's favour, Juliettehad said to one or two people that she had seen Mary take the ring. Inconsequence of this statement Juliette was now summoned as a witness,and, fearful to be caught in a lie, she determined to maintain it evenin a court of justice. When the judge warned her to declare the truthbefore God, she felt her heart beat quickly and her knees tremble; butthis wicked girl obeyed neither the voice of the judge nor the voice ofher own conscience. "If," said she to herself, "I acknowledge now thatI told a lie, then I shall be driven away. Perhaps I may even beimprisoned." Determined to carry out her part, she turned to Mary andsaid insultingly--
"You have the ring; I saw you with it."
Mary heard this false charge with horror, but she did not allow passionto get the upper hand. Her only reply was, and her tears almost chokedher while she said it--
"It is not true. You did not see me with the ring. How can you tell soterrible a falsehood for the sake of ruining me, when I never haveinjured you?"
At the sight of Mary, Juliette's feelings of hatred and jealousyrevived. She repeated the falsehood, with new circumstances anddetails, after which she was dismissed by the judge.
"Mary, you are convicted," said he. "All the circumstances are againstyou. The chamber-maid of the young Countess saw the ring in your hand.Tell me now, what you have done with it?"
In vain Mary protested her innocence. According to the cruel custom ofthose days, the judge now sent her to be whipped until the blood came,in the effort to make her confess her guilt. The punishment made poorMary scream with pain, but she continued to declare her innocence.Suffering great agony, she was finally thrown into her prison again.Her bed of straw was hard, her wounds gave her great pain, and half thenight she spent without sleeping, groaning and praying to God.
The next day she was brought again before the court. The severity ofthe law had failed to wring any confession from her. The judge nowtried to make her confess by adopting a mild tone, and by holding outpromises.
"You have incurred the penalty of death," said he, "but if you confesswhere the ring is, nothing will be done to you. Think well before youanswer, for your choice is between life and death."
Still Mary protested that she had nothing more to confess. The judgenow tried to move her by her love for her father.
"If you persist in concealing the truth," he said, "if you are carelessof your own life, you will at least spare that of your old father.Would you see his head, whitened by age, cut off by the sword ofjustice? Who but he could have induced you to tell a falsehood soobstinately? Are you ignorant that his life as well as yours is atstake?"
This was a new thought to Mary, and, terrified at the threat, shenearly fainted.
"Confess," said the judge, "that you have taken the ring. A singleword--say yes, and your life and that of your father are saved."
It was a great temptation and a terrible trial to Mary. Satan suggestedthat she should say, "I took the ring, but I lost it on the road.""No," she thought again, "no, I must stick to the truth. Let it costwhat it will, not even to save my own or my father's life will I departfrom the truth. I will obey God rather than man, and trust Him for therest."
In a clear but tremulous voice she then answered--
"If I say I had the ring, it would be a lie; and, though this falsehoodwould save my life, I cannot utter it. But," she entreated, "if life isdemanded, spare at least the white hairs of my loved father. I shouldbe glad to shed my blood for him."
Her words touched the hearts of all the people in the court. Even thejudge, for all his severity, was deeply moved; but he remained silent,and, giving the signal, Mary was taken back to prison.