"No, I did it because I came to see that the law which permitted you to order the execution of that girl was a crime, and that a higher law called upon me to undo it."
"A crime? Good Lord, what if it was? What had you to do with that?"
"I had tried and condemned her. And besides, I had my personal reasons for wishing the prisoner to escape punishment."
"But damn it all, man, when you were doing all this for the girl, didn't you see what you were doing for yourself?"
"Not then. But now I see that in preventing the law from committing a crime I committed a crime against the law, and am no longer fit to be a Judge. That's why I'm here now, Sir—not to issue that warrant, but to resign my judgeship."
"Resign your judgeship?"
"Yes, but that's not all—to ask you to order my arrest and commit me to prison."
The Governor, who had been half stupefied, took possession of himself at last.
"Commit you to prison? Good heavens, what are you saying? A Deemster in prison! Whoever heard of such a thing!"
"I am guilty of a crime against Justice...." began Stowell, but the Governor bore him down.