"Yes," answered Frances. And my heart almost leaped out of my mouth in
fear that her next word would mean death to an innocent man.
"You may state whether George Hamilton was one of the highwaymen who
attacked and killed Roger Wentworth."
Frances paused for perhaps ten seconds, but the time seemed an hour to
me, and I remember wondering how the Quaker felt.
"No," she answered, in a voice clear as a bell and without a flutter of
hesitancy.
It could easily be seen that her answer surprised the court and the
king's counsel, and as the king glanced up to Crofts, who was standing by
his side, I noticed a queer expression which seemed to say that the
evidence was not what they had expected.
The king's counsel held a brief whispered consultation with the judge,
who spoke privately to the king, and suddenly Frances was told that the
proceedings were over. Evidently the king had refused to have her
questioned further, fearing, no doubt, that she might testify to having
recognized the real culprits.
After the court had risen, we were perhaps ten minutes making our way
from the courtroom, and when we came to the coaches which were to take
us to our barge, I saw the Quaker standing near by. He wore colored
spectacles. He was Hamilton. As I passed the Quaker, I said to Frances
loud enough for him to hear:--
"I shall go to see Betty each Sabbath evening hereafter."
Frances looked up in surprise at my apparently senseless remark, but I
did not explain its significance, and she remained in ignorance of the
fact that Hamilton had just heard her make what she supposed to be a
false oath for his sake.
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