'In the first place, Margaret, who is to hunt up my witnesses?

All of them are sailors, drafted off to other ships, except those

whose evidence would go for very little, as they took part, or

sympathised in the affair. In the next place, allow me to tell

you, you don't know what a court-martial is, and consider it as

an assembly where justice is administered, instead of what it

really is--a court where authority weighs nine-tenths in the

balance, and evidence forms only the other tenth. In such cases,

evidence itself can hardly escape being influenced by the

prestige of authority.' 'But is it not worth trying, to see how much evidence might be

discovered and arrayed on your behalf? At present, all those who

knew you formerly, believe you guilty without any shadow of

excuse. You have never tried to justify yourself, and we have

never known where to seek for proofs of your justification. Now,

for Miss Barbour's sake, make your conduct as clear as you can in

the eye of the world. She may not care for it; she has, I am

sure, that trust in you that we all have; but you ought not to

let her ally herself to one under such a serious charge, without

showing the world exactly how it is you stand. You disobeyed

authority--that was bad; but to have stood by, without word or

act, while the authority was brutally used, would have been

infinitely worse. People know what you did; but not the motives

that elevate it out of a crime into an heroic protection of the

weak. For Dolores' sake, they ought to know.' 'But how must I make them know? I am not sufficiently sure of the

purity and justice of those who would be my judges, to give

myself up to a court-martial, even if I could bring a whole array

of truth-speaking witnesses. I can't send a bellman about, to cry

aloud and proclaim in the streets what you are pleased to call my

heroism. No one would read a pamphlet of self-justification so

long after the deed, even if I put one out.' 'Will you consult a lawyer as to your chances of exculpation?'

asked Margaret, looking up, and turning very red.

'I must first catch my lawyer, and have a look at him, and see

how I like him, before I make him into my confidant. Many a

briefless barrister might twist his conscience into thinking,

that he could earn a hundred pounds very easily by doing a good

action--in giving me, a criminal, up to justice.' 'Nonsense, Frederick!--because I know a lawyer on whose honour I

can rely; of whose cleverness in his profession people speak very

highly; and who would, I think, take a good deal of trouble for

any of--of Aunt Shaw's relations Mr. Henry Lennox, papa.' 'I think it is a good idea,' said Mr. Hale. 'But don't propose

anything which will detain Frederick in England. Don't, for your

mother's sake.' 'You could go to London to-morrow evening by a night-train,'

continued Margaret, warming up into her plan. 'He must go

to-morrow, I'm afraid, papa,' said she, tenderly; 'we fixed that,

because of Mr. Bell, and Dixon's disagreeable acquaintance.' 'Yes; I must go to-morrow,' said Frederick decidedly.




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