injustice. This indulgent affection of father Bertram, and such unshaken confidence in his uprightness, wrung his heart. He hurried to his bed-room, with full determination to destroy the accursed bullets. One only will I keep, only one I will use,” said he, holding out his supplicating hands pressed palm to palm with bitter tears towards heaven. “Oh let the purpose, let the purpose, plead for the offence; plead for me the anguish of my heart, and the trial which I could not bear! I will humble, I will abase myself in the sight of God: with a thousand, with ten thousand penitential acts I will wash out the guilt of my transgression. But can I, can I, now go back, without making shipwreck of all things—of my happiness, my honour, my darling Kate?”
Somewhat tranquillised by this view of his own conduct, he beheld the morning dawn with more calmness than he had anticipated.
XV.
The ducal commissioner arrived, and expressed a wish, previously to the decisive trial,
