Estelle arose, and Lord Montressor reverentially drew aside her vail, revealing her pale, despairing, but most beautiful face. The crowd was behind her. Thus fortunately she had only to confront the bench. The Judge bent forward and looked with interest into the grief-stricken, but lovely countenance thus unvailed before him. Under his scrutiny, her eyes sank to the floor, and her color rose, crimsoning her cheek even to her temples, and then receding left her paler than before. All this passed in an instant And then— “Prisoner, you have heard the indictment against you read. Are you guilty or not guilty of the crime laid to your charge?” asked the judge. “Not guilty in intention, my lord,” answered the low, thrilling voice of the accused. “You may resume your seat.” Lord Montressor, with a deferential tenderness that never failed or faltered, handed her back to her chair, and took his stand on her right hand as before. And so perfect was the silence among the eager, attentive crowd, that not only the questions of the Judge, but every syllable of her low-toned reply was distinctly heard in every part of the court-room. The multitude had now pressed as near as was permitted to the bench, and many on either side were in a line of vision with the accused. And among them were many of her old associates, now gazing at her in pitiless curiosity. Fain would she have intervened the friendly black lace vail again between her face and the eyes of the assembly, though in respect to her friends’ opinions she abstained from the self indulgence; but oh! those eyes! those cruel eyes! she felt them like a forest of leveled bayonets, pointed toward her—impaling her. The counsel for the Crown arose, and amid the profound silence of the court, opened the prosecution. I cannot in my limited space give a just idea of the logic, eloquence and power of this preliminary speech.