“Suddenly the crowd opened, I saw my wife hastening through the space thus made--a living wall on each side--and in an instant she had thrown herself into my arms, with a low cry which brought tears to the roughest faces of the auditory. I placed my arm around her, remonstrated with her for this ill-advised proceeding, and was trying to soothe her, when she hastily gave me a letter. A strange man had brought it an hour before, she said--it was marked ‘In haste--this will save Mr. Davenant’s life.’ She had mounted her riding horse, and brought it at full speed in person, without waiting to question the stranger, who had at once disappeared. “I opened the letter--glanced at its contents--at the same instant the jury made their appearance--and the clerk said:-- “‘Gentlemen of the jury, have you agreed upon a verdict?’ “‘We have, sir,’ said the foreman. “‘What is it?’ “‘Not guilty!’ “The court-house rang with applause. The crowd rushed toward me to shake me by the hand and congratulate me. Suddenly, in the midst of the tumult, I heard the furious words:-- “‘Murderer! you have escaped, but I brand you before God and man as the murderer of my brother!’ “It was Judge Conway, who, mounted upon a bench, with glaring eyes, foaming lips, teeth clenched, in a wild fury, shook his arm at me, and denounced me as a convict before God, if not before man.” XXIII. WHAT THE LETTER CONTAINED. General Davenant was silent for a moment. The deep voice, so long resounding in my ears, made the silence oppressive. “Now you know, my dear colonel,” he suddenly added, “why my son can not form an alliance with a daughter of Judge Conway.” I bowed my head. The whole mystery was patent before me. “The family opposition is mutual,” said General Davenant, with a proud smile; “he objects because he believes that I murdered his brother--and I object because he believes it! He insulted me, outraged me--at the grave, in the court-house, in public, as in private; and I could not think of beseeching his honor to give his consent to the marriage of his daughter with the son of an ‘escaped murderer.’” The old soldier uttered these words with gloomy bitterness; but in a moment he had regained his coolness.