the foreigner-第17节

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d　describing　the　various　dramatis　personae　and　the　torrential　emotions　that　had　swept　their　hearts　in　that　scene　of　final　parting　between　father　and　children。

Again　and　again　Staunton　sought　to　stay　her　eloquence；　but　with　a　majestic　wave　of　her　hand　she　swept　him　aside；　and　with　a　wealth　of　metaphor　and　an　unbroken　flow　of　passionate；　tear…bedewed　rhetoric　that　Staunton　himself　might　well　envy；　she　held　the　court　under　her　sway。　　Many　of　the　women　present　were　overcome　with　emotion。　O'Hara　openly　wiped　away　his　tears；　keeping　an　anxious　eye　the　while　upon　the　witness　and　waiting　the　psychological　moment　for　the　arresting　of　her　tale。

The　moment　came　when　Mrs。　Fitzpatrick's　emotions　rendered　her　speechless。　　With　a　great　show　of　sympathy；　Mr。　O'Hara　approached　the　witness；　and　offering　her　a　glass　of　water；　found　opportunity　to　whisper；　〃Not　another　word；　on　your　soul。〃

〃Surely；〃　he　said；　appealing　to　the　judge　in　a　voice　trembling　with　indignant　feeling；　〃my　learned　friend　will　not　further　harass　this　witness。〃

〃Let　her　go；　in　Heaven's　name；〃　said　Staunton　testily；　〃we　want　no　more　of　her。〃

〃So　I　should　suppose；〃　replied　O'Hara　drily。

With　Mrs。　Fitzpatrick；　the　case　for　the　Crown　was　closed。　　To　the　surprise　of　all；　and　especially　of　the　Counsel　for　the　Crown；　O'Hara　called　no　witnesses　and　offered　no　evidence　in　rebuttal　of　that　before　the　court。　　This　made　it　necessary　for　Staunton　to　go　on　at　once　with　his　final　address　to　the　jury。

Seldom　in　all　his　experience　had　he　appeared　to　such　poor　advantage　as　on　that　day。　　The　court　was　still　breathing　the　atmosphere　of　Mrs。　Fitzpatrick's　rude　and　impassioned　appeal。　　The　lawyer　was　still　feeling　the　sting　of　his　humiliating　failure　with　his　star　witness；　and　O'Hara's　unexpected　move　surprised　and　flustered　him；　old　hand　as　he　was。　　With　halting　words　and　without　his　usual　assurance；　he　reviewed　the　evidence　and　asked　for　a　conviction　on　both　charges。

With　O'Hara　it　was　quite　otherwise。　　It　was　in　just　such　a　desperate　situation　that　he　was　at　his　best。　　The　plight　of　the　prisoner；　lonely；　beaten　and　defenceless；　appealed　to　his　chivalry。　Then；　too；　O'Hara；　by　blood　and　tradition；　was　a　revolutionist。　In　every　〃rising〃　during　the　last　two　hundred　years　of　Ireland's　struggles；　some　of　his　ancestors　had　carried　a　pike　or　trailed　a　musket；　and　the　rebel　blood　in　him　cried　sympathy　with　the　Nihilist　in　his　devotion　to　a　hopeless　cause。　　And　hence　the　passion　and　the　almost　tearful　vehemence　that　he　threw　into　his　final　address　were　something　more　than　professional。

With　great　skill　he　took　his　cue　from　the　evidence　of　the　last　witness。　　He　drew　a　picture　of　the　Russian　Nihilist　hunted　like　〃a　partridge　on　the　mountains；〃　seeking　for　himself　and　his　compatriots　a　home　and　safety　in　this　land　of　liberty。　　With　vehement　scorn　he　told　the　story　of　the　base　treachery　of　Rosenblatt；　〃a　Government　spy；　a　thief；　a　debaucher　of　women；　and　were　I　permitted；　gentlemen；　I　could　unfold　a　tale　in　this　connection　such　as　would　wring　your　hearts　with　grief　and　indignation。　　But　my　client　will　not　permit　that　the　veil　be　drawn　from　scenes　that　would　bring　shame　to　the　honoured　name　he　wears。〃

With　consummate　art　the　lawyer　turned　the　minds　of　the　jury　from　the　element　of　personal　vengeance　in　the　crime　committed　to　that　of　retribution　for　political　infidelity；　till　under　his　manipulation　the　prisoner　was　made　to　appear　in　the　role　of　patriot　and　martyr　doomed　to　suffer　for　his　devotion　to　his　cause。

〃But；　gentlemen；　though　I　might　appeal　to　your　passions；　I　scorn　to　do　so。　　I　urge　you　to　weigh　calmly；　deliberately；　as　cool；　level…　headed　Canadians；　the　evidence　produced　by　the　prosecution。　　A　crime　has　been　committed；　a　most　revolting　crime；one　man　killed；　another　seriously　wounded。　　But　what　is　the　nature　of　this　crime？　Has　it　been　shown　either　to　be　murder　or　attempted　murder？　　You　must　have　noticed；　gentlemen；　how　utterly　the　prosecution　has　failed　to　establish　any　such　charge。　　The　suggestion　of　murder　comes　solely　from　the　man　who　has　so　deeply　wronged　and　has　pursued　with　such　deadly　venom　the　unfortunate　prisoner　at　the　bar。　　This　man；　after　betraying　the　cause　of　freedom；　after　wrecking　the　prisoner's　home　and　family；　after　proving　traitor　to　every　trust　imposed　in　him；　now　seeks　to　fasten　upon　his　victim　this　horrid　crime　of　murder。　　His　is　the　sole　evidence。　　What　sort　of　man　is　this　upon　whose　unsupported　testimony　you　are　asked　to　send　a　fellow　human　being　to　the　scaffold？　　Think　calmly；　gentlemen；　is　he　such　a　man　as　you　can　readily　believe？　　Is　his　highly　coloured　story　credible？　　Are　you　so　gullible　as　to　be　taken　in　with　this　melodrama？　　Gentlemen；　I　know　you；　I　know　my　fellow　citizens　too　well　to　think　that　you　will　be　so　deceived。

〃Now　what　are　the　facts；　the　bare　facts；　the　cold　facts；　gentlemen？　And　we　are　here　to　deal　with　facts。　　Here　they　are。　　There　is　a　wedding。　　My　learned　friend　is　not　interested　in　weddings；　not　perhaps　as　much　interested　as　he　should　be；　and　as　such　apparently；　he　excites　the　pity　of　his　friends。〃

This　sally　turned　all　eyes　towards　Mrs。　Fitzpatrick；　and　a　broad　smile　spread　over　the　court。

〃There　is　a　wedding；　as　I　was　saying。　　Unhappily　the　wedding　feast；　as　is　too　often　the　case　with　our　foreign　citizens；　degenerates　into　a　drunken　brawl。　　It　is　a　convenient　occasion　for　paying　off　old　scores。　　There　is　general　melee；　a　scrap；　in　short。　　Suddenly　these　two　men　come　face　to　face；　their　passions　inflamed。　　On　the　one　hand　there　is　a　burning　sense　of　wrong；　on　the　other　an　unquenchable　hate。　　For；　gentlemen；　remember；　the　man　that　hates　you　most　venomously　is　the　man　who　has　wronged　you　most　deeply。　These　two　meet。　　There　is　a　fight。　　When　all　is　over；　one　man　is　found　dead；　another　with　a　wound　in　his　breast。　　But　who　struck　the　first　blow？　　None　can　tell。　　We　are　absolutely　without　evidence　upon　this　point。　　In　regard　to　the　Polak；　all　that　can　be　said　is　this；　that　it　was　a　most　unfortunate　occurrence。　　The　attempt　to　connect　the　prisoner　with　this　man's　death　has　utterly　failed。　　In　regard　to　the　man　Rosenblatt；　dismissing　his　absurdly　tragic　story；　what　evidence　has　been　brought　before　this　court　that　there　was　any　deliberate　attempt　at　murder？　　A　blow　was　struck；　but　by　whom？　　No　one　knows。　　What　was　the　motive？　　Was　it　in　self…defence　warding　off　some　murderous　attack？　　No　one　can　say。　　I　have　as　much　right　to　believe　that　this　was　the　case；　as　any　man　to　believe　the　contrary。　　Indeed；　from　what　we　know　of　the　character　of　this　wretched　traitor　and　thief；　it　is　not　hard　to　believe　that　the　attack　upon　this　stranger　would　come　from　him。〃

And　so　O'Hara　proceeded　with　his　most　extraordinary　defence。　Theory　after　theory　he　advanced；　quoting　instance　after　instance　of　extraordinary　killings　that　were　discovered　to　be　accidental　or　in　self…defense；　till　with　the　bewildered　jury　no　theory　explanatory　of　the　crime　committed　in　the　basement　of　Paulina's　house　was　too　fantastic　to　be　considered　possible。

In　his　closing　appeal　O'Hara　carried　the　jury　back　to　the　point　from　which　he　had　set　out。　　With　tears　in　his　voice　he　recounted　the　scene　of　the　parting　between　the　prisoner　and　his　children。　　He　drew　a　harrowing　picture　of　the　unhappy　fate　of　wife　and　children　left　defenceless　and　in　poverty　to　become　the　prey　of　such　men　as　Rosenblatt。　　He　drew　a　vivid　picture　of　that　age…long　struggle　for　freedom　carried　on　by　the　down…trodden　peasantry　of　Russia；　and　closed　with　a　tremendous　appeal　to　them　as　fathers；　as　lovers　of　liberty；　as　fair…minded；　reasonable　men　to　allow　the　prisoner　the　full　benefit　of　the　many　doubts　gathering　round　the　case　for　the　prosecution；　and　set　him　free。

It　was　a　magnificent　effort。　　Never　in　all　his　career　as　a　criminal　lawyer　had　O'Hara　made　so　brilliant　an　attempt　to　lift　a　desperate　case　from　the　region　of　despair　into　that　of　hope。　　The　effect　of　his　address　was　plainly　visible　upon　the　jury　and；　indeed；　upon　the　whole　audience　in　the　court　room。

The　judge's　charge　did　much　to　clear　the　atmosphere；　and　to　bring　the　jury　back　to　the　cold；　calm　air　of　Canadian　life　and　feeling；　but　in　the　jury　room　the　emotions　and　passions　aroused　by　O'Hara's　address　were　kindled　again；　and　the　result　reflected　in　no　small　degree　their　influence。

The　verdict　acquitted　the　prisoner　of　the　charge　of　manslaughter；　but　found　him　guilty　on　the　count　of　attempted　murder。　　The　verdict；　however；　was　tempered　with　a　strong　recommendation　to　mercy。

〃Have　you　anything　to　say？〃　asked　the　judge　before　pronouncing　sentence。

Kalmar；　who　had　been　deeply　impressed　by　the　judge's　manner　during　his　charge　to　the　jury；　searched　his　face　a　moment　and　then；　as　if　abandoning　all　hope　of　mercy；　drew　himself　erect　and　in　his　stilted　English　said：　　〃Your　Excellency；　I　make　no　petition　for　mercy。　　Let　the　criminal　make　such　a　plea。　　I　stand　convicted　of　crime；　but　I　am　no　criminal。　　The　traitor；　the　thief；　the　liar；　the　murderer；　the　criminal；　sits　there。〃　　As　he　spoke　the　word；　he　swung　sharply　about　and　stood　with　outstretched　arm　and　finger　pointing　to　Rosenblatt。　　〃I　stand　here　the　officer　of　vengeance。　　I　have　failed。　　Vengeance　will　not　fail。　　The　day　is　coming　when　it　will　strike。〃　　Then　turning　his　face　toward　the　gr