For the first time, Sampson directed his attention to the woman. His glance, instead of being casual and perfunctory, as he had expected it would be, developed into a prolonged stare that left him shy and confused. She was looking into his eyes, calmly, seriously, and, he thought, a bit speculatively, as if she were estimating his mental displacement. As a matter of fact, she was merely detaching him from the others who had gone before. He had the strange, uncomfortable feeling that he was being appraised by a most uncompromising judge. His stare was not due to resentment on his part because of her cool inspection. It was the result of suddenly being confronted by the loveliest girl he had ever seen--unquestionably the loveliest. It seemed an affront to this beautiful, clear-eyed creature to say that he did not know her. To say it to her face, too--with her eyes upon him--why, it was incomprehensibly rude and ungallant. He ought to have been spared this unnecessary humiliation, he thought. How would she feel when he deliberately, coldly insulted her by uttering a bald, harsh negative to the question that had been asked? “I--I am afraid not,” he managed to qualify, hoping for a slight smile of acknowledgement. “Would you be inclined to favour the defendant because of his age, Mr. Sampson?” Sampson hesitated. Here was his chance. He looked again at Miss Alexandra Hildebrand. She was still regarding him coolly, impersonally. After all, he was nothing to her but a juror--just an ordinary, unwholesome specimen undergoing examination. If he was rejected, he would pass out of her mind on the instant and never again would he be permitted to enter. He felt very small and inconsequential. “Well, naturally, I suppose, I should be influenced to some extent by his age,” he replied. “You would, however, keep your mind open to the evidence in the case and render a verdict according to that evidence? You would not discharge him solely because he is an old man?” “I don't know where my sympathy would carry me,” said Sampson evasively. “I see. Well, if you should be accepted by both sides as a juror to sit in this case you would at least try to divide your sympathy as fairly as possible between us, wouldn't you? You would not deny the long-suffering State of New York a share of your sympathy, would you?” Miss Hildebrand, at that juncture, touched her grandfather on the arm and whispered something in his ear. For the first time the old man looked at the talesman in the chair. Sampson was acutely aware of a sudden flash of interest in the prisoner's eyes. Moreover, the young woman was regarding him rather less impersonally. Sampson assumed an air of extreme hauteur “If I am accepted by both sides in this case, my sympathy will be, first of all, with myself, I am not eager to serve. I shall, however, do my best to render an intelligent, just verdict.” “According to the evidence and the law as laid down by the honourable Court?”