“To the foreign tongues—they think when a grand jury has found a bill, the accused ought to talk nothing but plain English, so that all near her can understand what she says.” “In a word, it is not thought sufficient to be accused of such a crime as murder, but all other visitations must follow, to render the charge as horrible as may be!” “That is not the way they look at it. The public fancies that in a public matter they have a right to know all about a thing.” “And when there is a failure in the proof, they imagine, invent, and assert.” “’Tis the ways of the land. I suppose all nations have their ways, and follow them.” “One thing surprises me a little in this matter,” Jack rejoined, after musing a moment; “it is this. In most cases in which women have any connection with the law, the leaning in this country, and more particularly of late, has been in their favour.” “Well,” Mrs. Gott quietly but quickly interrupted, “and ought it not to be so?” “It ought not, unless the merits are with them. Justice is intended to do that which is equitable; and it is not fair to assume that women are always right, and men always wrong. I know my uncle thinks that not only the decisions of late years, but the laws, have lost sight of the wisdom of the past, and are gradually placing the women above the men, making _her_ instead of _him_ the head of the family.” “Well, Mr. Wilmington, and isn’t that quite right?” demanded Mrs. Gott, with a good-natured nod. “My uncle thinks it very wrong, and that by a mistaken gallantry the peace of families is undermined, and their discipline destroyed; as, in punishment, by a false philanthropy, rogues are petted at the expense of honest folk. Such are the opinions of Mr. Thomas Dunscomb, at least.” “Ay, Mr. Thomas Dunscomb is an old bachelor; and bachelors’ wives, and bachelors’ children, as we well know, are always admirably managed. It is a pity they are not more numerous,” retorted the indomitably good-humoured wife of the sheriff. “But, you see that, in this case of Mary Monson, the feeling is against, rather than in favour of a woman. That may be owing to the fact that one of the persons murdered was a lady also.” “Dr. McBrain says that both were females—or lady-murdered—as I suppose we must call them; as doubtless you have heard, Mrs. Gott. Perhaps he is believed, and the fact may make doubly against the accused.” “He is _not_ believed. Everybody hereabouts _knows_, that one of the skeletons was that of Peter Goodwin. They say that the District Attorney means to show _that_, beyond all dispute. They tell me that it is a law, in a case of this sort, first to show there has been a murder; second, to show who did it.”