countenance--his dark and piercing eye had for one instant fixed on each
witness that appeared against him, and then dropped its gaze upon the
ground. But at this moment a faint hectic flushed his cheek, and he
seemed to gather and knit himself up for defence. He glanced round the
court, as if to see what had been the impression created against him. His
eye rested on the grey locks of Rowland Lester, who, looking down, had
covered his face with his hands. But beside that venerable form was the
still and marble face of Madeline; and even at that distance from him,
Aram perceived how intent was the hush and suspense of her emotions. But
when she caught his eye--that eye which even at such a moment beamed
unutterable love, pity, regret for her--a wild, a convulsive smile of
encouragement, of anticipated triumph, broke the repose of her colourless
features, and suddenly dying away, left her lips apart, in that
expression which the great masters of old, faithful to Nature, give alike
to the struggle of hope and the pause of terror.

"My Lord," began Aram, in that remarkable defence still extant, and still
considered as wholly unequalled from the lips of one defending his own,
and such a, cause;--"My Lord, I know not whether it is of right, or
through some indulgence of your Lordship, that I am allowed the liberty
at this bar, and at this time, to attempt a defence; incapable and
uninstructed as I am to speak. Since, while I see so many eyes upon me,
so numerous and awful a concourse, fixed with attention, and filled with
I know not what expectancy, I labour, not with guilt, my Lord, but with
perplexity. For, having never seen a court but this, being wholly
unacquainted with law, the customs of the bar, and all judiciary
proceedings, I fear I shall be so little capable of speaking with
propriety, that it might reasonably be expected to exceed my hope, should
I be able to speak at all.