No help for us! Not if we could prove that they who are dead, or at the point of death, acknowledged what we say to a dear father?—can this be the law?
Stop—stop—thou noble-hearted, brave woman! cried Burroughs. They do not speak true. They are afraid of thee Rachel Dyer. Matthew Paris—
Here am I, Lord!—
Why, Matthew—look at me.... Do you not—know me?
No—no—who are you?
CHAPTER XIX.
Enough—enough—cried Burroughs, on finding Matthew Paris so disturbed in his intellect—enough—there is no hope now, Rachel. The father himself would be no witness now, though he had been told by our witnesses upon their death-bed, while they expected to die, just what, if it could be shown here, would be a matter of life and death to us. But still, before I give up, I should like to know the meaning of that rule of evidence you spoke of the other day, which would appear to make it necessary for me to produce only the best evidence which the nature of the case admits of. We have done that here ... a rule which being interpreted by the men of the law is said to be this ... that we are to give such evidence only, as that none better may appear to be left behind—we have done that now—
We are weary of this—what have you to say to the charge made against you by the apparition of your wife? Before you reply however, it is our duty to apprise you, that whatever you may happen to say in your own favor will go for nothing—
Nevertheless I am ready to reply.
—We do not seek to entrap you—