afterwards that he thought medead. It was too late then to go back, for I had done so many thingswhich he would have condemned that I could not face him."
Just at that moment the warders arrived at the door to conduct him tothe court. His trial was about to commence. He and the other four menaccused of the murder of Mr Maitland were placed in the dock. Thejunior counsel for the prosecution was Hugh Maitland. As had occurredat the commencement of his career, his senior counsel was unable, onaccount of sudden illness, to attend. His private feelings, as well ashis professional interest, induced him to exert all his talents toprocure the condemnation of the prisoners, whom he believed to beguilty. Every effort had been made to obtain proof against them. Ofthis they well knew.
Evil-doers, though often faithful to each other while success attendsthem, are frequently, for the sake of saving their own lives, ready tobetray each other.
One of the men had offered to turn king's evidence. Hugh brought himforward as a witness.
The trial went on. The evidence contributed to fix the guilt on all theprisoners. That, however, of their traitorous companion was crushing.The jury were convinced that Marwood was guilty, as well as the threeothers. The blood on his coat, and his having been found in theneighbourhood, left no doubt on their minds, notwithstanding all thecounsel of the accused could say in their favour. The jury brought in averdict of "guilty." The judge was about to pronounce sentence, whenone of the condemned men claimed to be heard. He acknowledged that heand his three companions were the murderers of Mr Maitland, and thatthough he had not struck the fatal blow, he had been assisting; but thatMarwood, though he had arrived at the moment, had no notion of theirintention, but, on the contrary, had interfered and endeavoured to stopthem. This evidence was considered of so much value, that though thejudge condemned the whole to death, he recommended Marwood to mercy.
In those days a brief time only was allowed between sentence andexecution. The three other prisoners knew that they had no hope ofescaping, and Arthur felt it his duty to warn Marwood that theGovernment were so determined to put an end to the smuggler's traffic,and to punish all who fell into their hands, that he must not entertainmuch expectation of being reprieved.
"I care not for my life; but of this crime, as I have always said, I aminnocent, and would die a thousand deaths rather than suffer for it," heanswered. "And tell me, sir, who was that lawyer that appeared againstme. I heard his name; it is one I once well knew."
"He is a barrister of high talent, the eldest son of the murdered man."
The prisoner, who was now in the condemned cell, lifted his manacledhands, exclaiming, involuntarily it seemed--
"My brother appear against me! God have mercy on him, for through him Ihave been unjustly condemned. As there is a God in heaven, whom I haveso often blasphemed, I tell you again that I am guiltless of the crimefor which I am condemned!"
Arthur was too much agitated to speak for a moment.
"You the brother of Hugh Maitland?" he exclaimed, "I am his brother. Wehad but one other brother, Gilbert, who lost his life when a mere lad;so we believed, and long mourned him as dead."
"Arthur! Arthur!" exclaimed Gilbert, for he was indeed the prisoner."I recognise your features, although I had not till now done so. Canyou believe me guilty of our father's death? I confess to countlesscrimes, but of that I am innocent."
Arthur at length recovered himself. From several circumstances whichGilbert brought to his memory, he was thoroughly convinced that he wasindeed his brother.
"I before hoped that you might escape death, and now that I am convincedthat you are innocent, I must use every exertion to prevent the risk ofthe reprieve not reaching Winchester in time to stay your execution."
Arthur hastened away in search of Hugh, who was on the point of startingfor London. The calm, self-confident barrister sunk almost faintinginto a chair when he heard Arthur's account. He, however, soonrecovered his self-possession.
"If Gilbert is innocent, I am guilty of fratricide, and shall havecontributed to bring disgrace on our family!" he exclaimed.
Together they set out for London. A reprieve, which had hitherto beenrefused, was granted.
It was on the very morning that the execution of the prisoners was totake place. An accident might delay them. It was daylight before theyreached the gaol. They found the Governor in a state of agitation, forone of the prisoners had escaped. He was greatly relieved on findingthat it was the man for whom they had brought a reprieve.
"One difficulty is got over," he observed; "but I should have had tokeep him here, for he and another were accused, by that fellow whoturned king's evidence, and who hopes to get the promised reward, ofbeing implicated in Bursey's murder."
The two brothers looked at each other. Hugh could scarcely restrain hisfeelings; a sense of bitter shame predominated, however, for thedisgrace he had hoped to escape might still fall on his family. Arthurearnestly prayed that the information might be false, and that hisunhappy brother was innocent. The prisoner was supposed to have madehis way to Southampton, and to have escaped on board a foreign-boundship.
Several months passed away; it was the autumn. Arthur had gone to spendsome days with Mary and her husband. He had ridden over to call on somefriends at Christchurch. A heavy equinoctial gale was blowing from thesouth-west. As he was returning along the coast, wishing to obtain aview of the stormy sea, now covered with foaming waves, he observed alarge lugger, under a press of sail, standing towards the shore. Anumber of people were collected on the beach, and he guessed, from thelight waggons and horses of which he had caught sight, that preparationswere being made for running a cargo of smuggled goods, then often donein open day, the Revenue officers being either enticed away or bribednot to interfere.
The danger a vessel must encounter venturing in at that time appearedfearfully great. He could not bring himself to leave the spot. Thereason of the lugger's attempting the hazardous experiment, however, wasevident. In the offing appeared a sloop-of-war, and one, he knew, hadbeen sent to cruise after smugglers. From remarks he overheard, hediscovered that the lugger was the _Saucy Sally_, commanded by SlipperyRogers. Every moment the gale was increasing, and the surf came rollingwith greater and greater force upon the beach. Those on shore threw upa signal to show that landing was impossible, but the fearless crew ofthe lugger pushed madly on. One instant she appeared with her broadspread of canvas swelling to the gale; the next, surrounded by thefierce waves dashing up madly around her, she lay shattered to fragmentson the shingly beach, her crew struggling vainly in the surf. Some fewamid the wreck, and casks and bales, which formed her cargo, were washedon shore, but the greater number were carried out far beyond human reachby the receding waves. Of those who were saved, several were fearfullyinjured, some breathed their last as they were dragged out of the water.Arthur offered that assistance which the rough men were little able toafford. He had sent off for a surgeon, and having attended to two ofthe sufferers, hastened to the side of a third, who seemed to havereceived some severe injuries. As he knelt down he recognised thecountenance of his unhappy brother Gilbert, who, opening his eyes, fixedthem on his face.
"We obtained a reprieve," said Arthur. "Why did you escape? you knew Ihad gone to obtain it."
"I did not trust to the king's mercy; and as I had the opportunity, Idetermined to avail myself of it," answered Gilbert in a feeble voice.
"Our king is a merciful sovereign; he has ever shown a readiness toforgive when his sense of justice will allow him," answered Arthur."But oh! how much more merciful is our Father in heaven; and His justicehaving been amply satisfied by the willing sacrifice of His dear Son,who died for sinners, He is abundantly ready to forgive the sinner whotrusts to that full atonement made for his sins! I speak thus, dearGilbert, for I fear your time on earth is short."
"I know it is," answered Gilbert. "Oh! continue to speak as you havebegun. I knew myself to be a guilty, outcast sinner before I left theprison. What you ha
d said to me sunk into my heart. It was for yoursake and for Hugh's more than my own that I escaped; and I came back inthe lugger resolved not to participate in the profits of theenterprise."
Arthur sighed.
"Those who associate with evil-doers share in their doings," he wascompelled to remark, but he dwelt not on that subject.
"My dear brother," he continued, "we are all sinners in the sight of apure and holy God, who cannot look upon iniquity; but He in His love andmercy has provided a fountain in which all our sins, however black,however foul, can be washed away; and He tells us in His Word thatthough they be red like crimson, they shall become as white as snow, andthough they be as scarlet, they become as wool--that He will put them asfar from us as the east is from the west. To that fountain which flowedfrom the side of