Dilemmas of Pride, (Vol 3 of 3)

he very enormity of the crime would, with many, have been a sufficient reason for disbelieving the guilt of the accused; particularly when his amiable temper, gentle manners, and honourable

, as well as to those which unfortunately had a suspicious appearance; and ready-made opinions, prejudging the case, w

es, quoted scripture to the same effect, but said the passage ought to have been translated, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a man who covets riches to enter into the kingdom of God." Others, in a more sentimental strain, spoke of the parties being not only brothers, but twin brothers; and dwelt upon the gre

d its effect; and was adduced, though not, of course, in extenuation of such a

nge; what revenge so dire as t

itical despondency, most devoutly hope that poor Sir Alfred might be found innocent. "In that case," he would add, "it will go hard with some of you, for the poison did not get into the glass without hands; and more likely, I say, to be by any other hands, than those of his own brother." By arts like these, instead of the affectionate respect for our hero, the indignant rejection of the idea of its being possible that he could have committed such a crime, which had else been the spontaneous sentiments of all the

if he were sure the glasses were quite clean when he took them into the library. Of course he always declared they w

in to see him in the agonies of death, there w

tor found in the bottom of the g

the glass?" a fourth would ask

s they used to be when they w

r fancy on the same lady, and that Sir Alfred, that was the handsomest gentleman of the two by far, could not abide being turned off for him that had the for

who was a great politician, "thinking it would be put into the

he became almost childish, at least quite lost his memory, for though he wept incessantly, he scarcely seemed to know why-sometimes speaking of Sir Willoughby as still alive, and sometimes of both brothers as a

trings, as if by stealth, with the silent tears of wounded vanity rolling dow

ss to grief, Pride, that arch enemy of our peac

ked-whom he may make miserable; deceiving even the generous of heart, by exalting them in their own opinion, till their pride requires of ot