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the lady； she was in that lady's service as housemaid。 The day after； she
had been permitted （by previous arrangement with her mistress） to take a
week's holiday； and to go on a visit to her parents； in the west of
Cornwall。 While there； she had fallen ill； and had not been strong enough
since to return to her employment。 Having given this preliminary account
of herself； the housemaid then stated the following extraordinary
particulars in relation to her mistress's clock。
On the morning of the day when Mr。 Dubourg had called at the house； she
had been cleaning the mantelpiece。 She had rubbed the part of it which
was under the clock with her duster； had accidentally struck the
pendulum； and had stopped it。 Having once before done this； she had been
severely reproved。 Fearing that a repetition of the offense； only the day
after the clock had been regulated by the maker； might lead perhaps to
the withdrawal of her leave of absence； she had determined to put matters
right again； if possible； by herself。
After poking under the clock in the dark； and failing to set the pendulum
going again properly in that way； she next attempted to lift the clock；
and give it a shake。 It was set in a marble case； with a bronze figure on
the top； and it was so heavy that she was obliged to hunt for something
which she could use as a lever。 The thing proved to be not easy to find
on the spur of the moment。 Having at last laid her hand on what she
wanted； she contrived so to lift the clock a few inches and drop it again
on the mantelpiece； as to set it going once more。
The next necessity was of course to move the hands on。 Here again she was
met by an obstacle。 There was a difficulty in opening the glass…case
which protected the dial。 After uselessly searching for some instrument
to help her； she got from the footman （without telling him what she
wanted it for） a small chisel。 With this； she opened the caseafter
accidentally scratching the brass frame of itand set the hands of the
clock by guess。 She was flurried at the time； fearing that her mistress
would discover her。 Later in the day； she found that she had
over…estimated the interval of time that had passed while she was trying
to put the clock right。 She had； in fact； set it exactly _a quarter of an
hour too fast。_
No safe opportunity of secretly putting the clock right again had
occurred； until the last thing at night。 She had then moved the hands
back to the right time。 At the hour of the evening when Mr。 Dubourg had
called on her mistress； she positively swore that the clock was a quarter
of an hour too fast。 It had pointed； as her mistress had declared； to
twenty…five minutes to ninethe right time then being； as Mr。 Dubourg
had asserted； twenty minutes past eight。
Questioned why she had refrained from giving this extraordinary evidence
at the inquiry before the magistrate； she declared that in the remote
Cornish village to which she had gone the next day； and in which her
illness had detained her from that time； nobody had heard of the inquiry
or the trial。 She would not have been then present to state the vitally
important circumstances to which she had just sworn； if the prisoner's
twin…brother had not found her out on the previous dayhad not
questioned her if she knew anything about the clockand had not （hearing
what she had to tell） insisted on her taking the journey with him to the
court the next morning。
This evidence virtually decided the trial。 There was a great burst of
relief in the crowded assembly when the woman's statement had come to an
end。
She was closely cross…examined as a matter of course。 Her character was
inquired into； corroborative evidence （relating to the chisel and the
scratches on the frame） was sought for and was obtained。 The end of it
was that； at a late hour on the second evening； the jury acquitted the
prisoner； without leaving their box。 It was not too much to say that his
life had been saved by his brother。 His brother alone had persisted； from
first to last； in obstinately disbelieving the clockfor no better
reason than that the clock was the witness which asserted the prisoner's
guilt！ He had worried everybody with incessant inquirieshe had
discovered the absence of the housemaid； after the trial had begunand
he had started off to interrogate the girl； knowing nothing； and
suspecting nothing； simply determined to persist in the one everlasting
question with which he persecuted everybody belonging to the house： 〃The
clock is going to hang my brother； can you tell me anything about the
clock？〃
Four months later； the mystery of the crime was cleared up。 One of the
disreputable companions of the murdered man confessed on his death…bed
that he had done the deed。 There was nothing interesting or remarkable in
the circumstances。 Chance which had put innocence in peril； had offered
impunity to guilt。 An infamous woman； a jealous quarrel； and an absence
at the moment of witnesses on the spotthese were really the commonplace
materials which had composed the tragedy of Pardon's Piece。
CHAPTER THE NINTH
The Hero of the Trial
〃You have forced it out of me。 Now you have had your way； never mind my
feelingsGo！〃
Those were the first words the Hero of the Trial said to me； when he was
able to speak again！ He withdrew with a curious sullen resignation to the
farther end of the room。 There he stood looking at me； as a man might
have looked who carried some contagion about him； and who wished to
preserve a healthy fellow…creature from the peril of touching him。
〃Why should I go？〃 I asked。
〃You are a bold woman；〃 he said； 〃to remain in the same room with a man
who has been pointed at as a murderer； and who has been tried for his
life。〃
The same unhealthy state of mind which had brought him to Dimchurch； and
which had led him to speak to me as he had spoken on the previous
evening； was； as I understood it； now irritating him against me as a
person who had made his own quick temper the means of entrapping him into
letting out the truth。 How was I to deal with a man in this condition？ I
decided to perform the feat which you call in England； 〃taking the bull
by the horns。〃
〃I see but one man here；〃 I said。 〃A man honorably acquitted of a crime
which he was incapable of committing。 A man who deserves my interest； and
claims my sympathy。 Shake hands； Mr。 Dubourg。〃
I spoke to him in a good hearty voice； and I gave him a good hearty
squeeze。 The poor； weak； lonely； persecuted young fellow dropped his head
on my shoulder like a child； and burst out crying。
〃Don't despise me！〃 he said； as soon as he had got his breath again。 〃It
breaks a man down to have stood in the dock； and to have had hundreds of
hard…hearted people staring at him in horrorwithout his deserving it。
Besides； I have been very lonely； ma'am； since my brother left me。〃
We sat down again； side by side。 He was the strangest compound of
anomalies I had ever met with。 Throw him into one of those passions in
which he flamed out so easilyand you would have said； This is a tiger。
Wait till he had cooled down again to his customary mild temperatureand
you would have said with equal trut