“He suddenly saw me, and fled”.
Laughter droned through the court, in which she naïvely joined, while Hogarth's eyes and hers met one instant, blazed outrageously, and dropped....
That was all. Counsel bowed.
The day grew toward evening, and still the stuffy Court sat.
But Margaret Hogarth did not come; a defending counsel finished examination, counsel on the other side again addressed the Court, and again defending counsel. The judge then held the scales, the jury trooped away, the crowd buzzed.
The light in the room seemed to brood to a denser yellow, and anon to grow dim; the stuffed court festered; voices spoke, but low. The King of Terrors was here.
When the jury came, the judge was called, Hogarth stood up, and the clerk of arraigns put a question to the foreman.
The foreman said: “We find the prisoner guilty: but beg to recommend him to the mercy of the Crown”.
“On what grounds?” asked his lordship.
“On the grounds of past good conduct and strong provocation”.