Strengthening himself so, he went to bed. For a long time he lay awake, listening to the many sounds of the storm. In the middle of the night he was startled out of his troubled sleep by a loud crash in the distance. The morning broke fair, with a clear sky and the sea lying under the sunshine like a sleeping child. But as he drove off, after a scanty breakfast, he found the carriage-drive strewn with young leaves, the torn bough of an old elm stretching across his path, and a number of dead rooks lying about the lawn. Outside the big gates he met Robbie Creer, who was riding barebacked on a farm horse. The farmer had been over to the Nappin and seen what he had expected. The headland was down; there was a Gob (a mouth) where the Point had been, and the sea was flowing between two cliffs that had been torn asunder. Driving hard, Stowell arrived early at Castletown and found a crowd at the Castle gate, waiting for the trial as for a show. He was passing through the Deemster's private entrance when he had a vision of a scene which the spectators could not be counting upon. What if the prisoner, while making her confession, accused her Judge? Joshua Scarff, in his coloured spectacles, was waiting at the door to the Deemster's room. "I'm afraid your Honour is not well this morning," said Joshua. "A little headache, that's all," said Stowell. But he had stumbled on the threshold (a bad omen) and was wondering what would happen before he came out again. CHAPTER THIRTY THE VERDICT When the Court resumed Gell rose, with a haggard face, to make an announcement. In accordance with the suggestion of his Excellency, the accused had been seen during the adjournment (though not by him), with the result that she had confessed to having given birth to a child and being the cause of its death. "In these circumstances," he said, speaking in a husky voice, "I have taken the only course open to me--that of advising her to revise her plea, and with the permission of the Court she will now do so." There was a moment of agitation in which the Court was understood to assent, and then Bessie was called upon to plead again. But hardly had she risen at the call of the Deemster when she broke down utterly and sob followed sob at every question that was put to her. At length she bowed her head and that was accepted as her plea of guilty. Then Gell rose again and said, "Although the prisoner pleads guilty to causing the death of her child, she says she did not so wilfully. Therefore I propose to put her back in the box to prove extenuating circumstances." Once more the Court agreed, but when Bessie was removed from the dock to the witness-box she broke down again and not a word could be got out of her. "It is only natural," said Gell, "that she should feel shame at having to take back what she said yesterday."