But the Attorney-General, with a look of triumph, sat down quickly, and Fenella, flushing up to her flaming eyes, stopped suddenly.
There was another moment of deep silence in Court, and then Gell, who had to struggle with his emotion, rose to re-examine.
"Does the prisoner say that when she killed her child she did so unconsciously and under the influence of fear?"
"Yes, under the influence of fear—fear of her step-father who had behaved like a brute to her."
"Does she think that, however lamentable her act, she was moved to it by pardonable motives?"
"Not pardonable motives merely," said Fenella, flaming up again, "but nobly unselfish ones."
"Nobly unselfish motives!" said the Attorney-General, rising again. "Will the witness please tell the Court what she means by nobly unselfish motives in a case like this?"
"I mean," said Fenella, hesitating for a moment, looking up at the Deemster and then (before she could be stopped) speaking with passion and rapidly, "I mean that this girl was betrayed at the time of her sorest need by one who should have protected her, not taken advantage of her. I mean that, falling in love afterwards with another man—a good man who was willing to make her his wife—she committed the crime solely and only in an effort to cover up her fault and to save her honour in the eyes of the man who loved her. I mean, too, that the real guilt lies not so much with this poor creature who sits here in her shame, as with the man who used her, caring nothing for her, and then left her to bear the consequences of their sin alone. Shame on him! Shame on him! May no good man own him for a friend! May no good woman take him for a husband! May he live to...."
The irregular outburst was interrupted by a cry from the advocates' benches. Gell had risen with wild eyes. He seemed to be trying to speak. His mouth opened but he said nothing, and after looking first at Fenella and then at the Deemster he sank back to his seat. And then Fenella, as if realising what she had done, sat also.
There were some moments of uneasy silence, and then the Attorney-General rose for the last time.