CHAPTER VIII
WE passed a few sad hours, until eleven o'clock,
when the trial was to commence. My father and the rest of the
family being obliged to attend as witnesses, I accompanied them
to the court. During the whole of this wretched mockery of justice I suffered
living torture. It was to be
decided, whether the result of my curiosity and lawless devices would cause
the death of two of my fellow-beings: one a smiling babe, full of
innocence and joy; the other far more dreadfully murdered, with
every aggravation of infamy that could make the murder memorable
in horror. Justine also was a girl of merit, andpossessed
qualities which promised to render her life happy: now all was to
be obliterated in an ignominious grave; and I the cause! A thousand times
rather would I have confessed myself guilty of the crime ascribed
to Justine; but I was absent when it was committed, and such a
declaration would have been considered as the ravings of a madman, and would
not have exculpated her who suffered through me.
The appearance of Justine was calm. She was dressed in mourning;
and her countenance, always engaging, was rendered, by the
solemnity of her feelings, exquisitely beautiful. Yet she
appeared confident in innocence, and did not tremble, although gazed on and execrated by
thousands; for all the kindness which her beauty might otherwise
have excited, was obliterated in the minds of the spectators by
the imagination of the enormity she was supposed to have
committed. She was tranquil, yet her tranquillity was evidently
constrained; and as her confusion had before been adduced as a
proof of her guilt, she worked up her mind to an appearance of
courage. When she entered the court, she threw her eyes round it,
and quickly discovered where we were seated. A tear seemed to dim
her eye when she saw us; but she quickly recovered herself, and a
look of sorrowful affection seemed to attest her utter
guiltlessness.
