"If you do not speak," proceeded the prisoner, heedless of the intimation from the bench; "or if you deny the truth, my life, as sure as there is a God in heaven, will be required at your hands. If, in consequence of your devilish plotting, these men consign me to a felon's grave, I shall not be cold in it when you will be calling upon the mountains to fall and cover you from the vengeance of the Judge of heaven and earth! Speak, man--save me: save your own soul from mortal peril whilst there is yet time for mercy and repentance!" Hornby's expression of surprise and confusion had gradually changed during this appeal to its usual character of dogged impassibility. He turned calmly and appealingly towards the bench. "You need not answer these wild adjurations, Mr. Hornby," said the judge, as soon as he could make himself heard. A smile curled the fellow's lip as he bowed deferentially to his lordship, and he sat down without uttering a syllable. "May the Lord, then, have mercy on my soul!" exclaimed the prisoner solemnly. Then glancing at the bench and jury-box, he added, "And you, my lord and gentlemen, work your will with my body as quickly as you may: I am a lost man!" The calling of witnesses to character, the opening of the judge's charge, pointing from its first sentence to a conviction, elicited no further manifestation of feeling from the prisoner: he was as calm as despair. The judge had been speaking for perhaps ten minutes, when a bustle was heard at the hall, as if persons were striving to force their way into the body of the court in spite of the resistance of the officers. "Who is that disturbing the court?" demanded the judge angrily. "For the love of Heaven let me pass!" we heard uttered in passionate tones by a female voice. "I must and will see the judge!" "Who can this be?" T inquired, addressing Mr. Symonds. "I cannot conceive," he replied; "surely not Mrs. Burton?" I had kept my eye, as I spoke, upon Hornby, and noticed that he exhibited extraordinary emotion at the sound of the voice, to whomsoever it belonged, and was now endeavoring to force his way through the crowded and anxious auditory. "My lord," said I, "I have to request on the part of the prisoner that the person desirous of admittance may be heard." "What has she to say? Or if a material witness, why have you not called her at the proper time?" replied his lordship with some irritation. "My lord, I do not even now know her name; but in a case involving the life of the prisoner, it is imperative that no chance be neglected"-- "Let the woman pass into the witness-box," interrupted the judge. The order brought before our eyes a pale, stunted woman, of about fifty years of age, whose excited and by no means unintellectual features, and hurried, earnest manner, seemed to betoken great and unusual feeling. "As I'm alive, Hornby's deformed housekeeper!" whispered Symonds. "This poor devil's knot will be unraveled yet."