It was, without doubt, excellent advice. _He whispered some words in the ear of the Judge of the First Instance. It was plain enough to me that the judge was quite an inferior official, who merely decided whether there was any case against the accused_; he had, even to his clerk, an air of timidity, of doubt. _I said: “But I insist on knowing....”_ _The clerk said: “In good time....” And then_, in the same tone of disinterested official routine, _he spoke to the Lugareño, who, from beside the door_, rolled very frightened eyes _from the judges and the clerk to myself and the soldiers_--“Advance.” _The judge, in a hurried, perfunctory voice, put questions to the Lugareño; the clerk scratched with a large quill on a sheet of paper._ “_Where do you come from?_” “_The town of Rio Medio, excellency._” “_Of what occupation?_” “_Excellency--a few goats._...” “_Why are you here?_” “_My daughter, excellency, married Pepe of the posada in the Calle._...” _The judge said, “Yes, yes,”_ with an unsanguine impatience. The Lugareño’s dirty hands jumped nervously on the large rim of his limp hat. “_You lodge a complaint against the señor there._” _The clerk pointed the end of his quill towards me._ _“I? God forbid, excellency,” the Lugareño bleated._ “The Alguazil of the Criminal Court instructed me to be watchful....” * * * * * _Part Five: The End._ _A long time after a harsh voice said_: “_Your excellency, we retire, of course, from the prosecution._” _A different one directed_: “_Gentlemen of the jury you will return a verdict of ‘Not Guilty’._...” _Down below they were cheering uproariously because my life was saved. But it was I that had to face my saved life. I sat there, my head bowed into my hands. The old judge was speaking to me in a tone of lofty compassion_: “_You have suffered much, as it seems, but suffering is the lot of us men. Rejoice now that your character is cleared; that here in this public place you have received the verdict of your country-men that restores you to the liberties of our country and the affection of your kindred. I rejoice with you who am a very old man at the end of my life._...” _It was rather tremendous, his deep voice, his weighted words. Suffering is the lot of us men.... The formidable legal array, the great powers of a nation, had stood up to teach me that, and they had taught me that--suffering is the lot of us men!_ * * * * * _It takes long enough to realise that someone is dead at a distance. I had done that. But how long, how long it needs to know that the life of your heart has come back from the dead._ For years afterwards I could not bear to have her out of my sight.