"Cain slew his brother: the Cain of today sells his brother."
CHAPTER IX.
CONSULTATION OF THE MEN, AND A WOMAN'S VERDICT.
Who could describe the various changes of expression in the features of the judges during Sonnenkamp's speech!
After he had retired, they sat together in silence.
Weidmann looked bright and unmoved: his clear blue eye was calm, and he seemed surprised by nothing he had heard.
The Major was busy with an internal struggle, passing, in review before him, his neglected youth. He often struck his breast with his clenched hand, thinking to himself,—
"Yes, who knows but that you might have become just like this!"
And he was overpowered by the emotion caused by considering his own case, and that of the man who had spoken so defiantly. He wanted to keep from shedding tears, but did not succeed. He wiped off the perspiration from his face with his handkerchief, and at the same time got rid of the tears. He longed to go to the poor rich man, embrace him, and call out to him, "Brother, brother, you have been a very bad brother; but now you are going to be a good brother: you will be?" But he did not venture to give way to the impulse of his heart. He looked round, to see whether any one would begin; but no glance was directed towards him, except the kindly one of Professor Einsiedel, to whom the Major nodded, as if he would say,—
"Yes, in all your books, you have never seen any thing like this. It is horrible, that a man can think and do all this; but I pity him from the bottom of my heart, and you pity him too: I see you do."