Westover of Wanalah: A story of love and life in Old VirginiaEggleston, George Cary
General
Westover of Wanalah: A story of love and life in Old Virginia
Eggleston, George Cary
Virginia -- Fiction
The problem now was what to do. Fortunately the committing magistrate
was a man of wise discretion. He presented himself in court and said to
the Judge:
"I have not yet committed this man, though he was caught in the act and
has made full confession, both as to his present offence and as to the
former crime, of which another has been mistakenly convicted. I have
thought it better to bring him before your honor and ask you to sit as
committing magistrate in the case, in order that you may yourself hear
his confession. It has seemed to me that this course was best in aid of
justice in another case."
After an exchange of dignified compliments, the Judge, sitting as a
committing magistrate, heard the case. During the preceding night there
had been an alarm of "burglars" in Le Voiser's school. As before, the
matron marshalled her charges for retreat, but this time there were two
stalwart men on the premises and awaiting call. Monsieur Le Voiser had
looked out for that, by ordering his furnace man and his steward to
sleep in a room within convenient call, and when the intruder attempted
to escape they were there to seize and hold him by physical force.
They testified to the facts.
Then the culprit repeated the confession he had already made. He seemed
in no way ashamed, and he did not hesitate. He declared that it was he,
and not Boyd Westover, who had invaded the school on the former
occasion, and when asked what his motive was, he disclaimed all
purposes of robbery and sought to justify himself by the solemn
declaration:
"On both occasions I went there under the command of the Supreme Being."
"Just what do you mean by that?" asked the Judge, testily.
"I am divinely commissioned to marry Miss--"
"Stop!" commanded the Judge. "Don't mention the young lady's name. Just
say 'a certain young lady.' We won't have her name dragged into the
case."
"Very well," said the culprit. "It is only that I am acting under a
divine commission and have nothing to conceal. I must marry the young
lady in question. I met her in the street once, and talked to her on
the subject. She mistook me for Boyd Westover, and I thought it best to
use that name in my dealings with her. You see, Judge, when one is
divinely commissioned to achieve a purpose, details make no difference."
"Go on," said the Judge; "omit explanations and arguments, and tell
what happened."
"The young lady rejected my addresses. I was not discouraged by that. I
had been divinely warned to expect it. I wrote her many notes, but she
did not reply to them. Then I saw my duty clearly. I decided to use
gentle force and carry her away with me, leaving the divine influence
to chasten her proud spirit and teach her the duty of loving me. I have
been twice defeated in my endeavors. I shall succeed when the appointed
time is ripe. I must be patient and faithful, that is all."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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