son；　and　Butler；　but；　in　so　far　as　Steger　had　ever　heard；　he　was　an　honest　man。
  〃What　I　can't　understand；〃　said　Steger；　〃is　why　these　fellows　should　be　so　anxious　to　punish　you；　unless　it　is　for　the　effect　on　the　State　at　large。　　The　election's　over。　　I　understand　there's　a　movement　on　now　to　get　Stener　out　in　case　he　is　convicted；　which　he　will　be。　　They　have　to　try　him。　　He　won't　go　up　for　more　than　a　year；　or　two　or　three；　and　if　he　does　he'll　be　pardoned　out　in　half　the　time　or　less。　　It　would　be　the　same　in　your　case；　if　you　were　convicted。　　They　couldn't　keep　you　in　and　let　him　out。　　But　it　will　never　get　that　fartake　my　word　for　it。　　We'll　win　before　a　jury；　or　we'll　reverse　the　judgment　of　conviction　before　the　State　Supreme　Court；　certain。　　Those　five　judges　up　there　are　not　going　to　sustain　any　such　poppycock　idea　as　this。〃
  Steger　actually　believed　what　he　said；　and　Cowperwood　was　pleased。　Thus　far　the　young　lawyer　had　done　excellently　well　in　all　of　his　cases。　　Still；　he　did　not　like　the　idea　of　being　hunted　down　by　Butler。　　It　was　a　serious　matter；　and　one　of　which　Steger　was　totally　unaware。　　Cowperwood　could　never　quite　forget　that　in　listening　to　his　lawyer's　optimistic　assurances。
  The　actual　beginning　of　the　trial　found　almost　all　of　the　inhabitants　of　this　city　of　six　hundred　thousand　〃keyed　up。〃　　None　of　the　women　of　Cowperwood's　family　were　coming　into　court。　　He　had　insisted　that　there　should　be　no　family　demonstration　for　the　newspapers　to　comment　upon。　　His　father　was　coming；　for　he　might　be　needed　as　a　witness。　　Aileen　had　written　him　the　afternoon　before　saying　she　had　returned　from　West　Chester　and　wishing　him　luck。　　She　was　so　anxious　to　know　what　was　to　become　of　him　that　she　could　not　stay　away　any　longer　and　had　returnednot　to　go　to　the　courtroom；　for　he　did　not　want　her　to　do　that；　but　to　be　as　near　as　possible　when　his　fate　was　decided；　adversely　or　otherwise。　She　wanted　to　run　and　congratulate　him　if　he　won；　or　to　console　with　him　if　he　lost。　　She　felt　that　her　return　would　be　likely　to　precipitate　a　collision　with　her　father；　but　she　could　not　help　that。
  The　position　of　Mrs。　Cowperwood　was　most　anomalous。　　She　had　to　go　through　the　formality　of　seeming　affectionate　and　tender；　even　when　she　knew　that　Frank　did　not　want　her　to　be。　　He　felt　instinctively　now　that　she　knew　of　Aileen。　　He　was　merely　awaiting　the　proper　hour　in　which　to　spread　the　whole　matter　before　her。　She　put　her　arms　around　him　at　the　door　on　the　fateful　morning；　in　the　somewhat　formal　manner　into　which　they　had　dropped　these　later　years；　and　for　a　moment；　even　though　she　was　keenly　aware　of　his　difficulties；　she　could　not　kiss　him。　　He　did　not　want　to　kiss　her；　but　he　did　not　show　it。　　She　did　kiss　him；　though；　and　added：　〃Oh；　I　do　hope　things　come　out　all　right。〃
  〃You　needn't　worry　about　that；　I　think；　Lillian；〃　he　replied；　buoyantly。　　〃I'll　be　all　right。〃
  He　ran　down　the　steps　and　walked　out　on　Girard　Avenue　to　his　former　car　line；　where　he　bearded　a　car。　　He　was　thinking　of　Aileen　and　how　keenly　she　was　feeling　for　him；　and　what　a　mockery　his　married　life　now　was；　and　whether　he　would　face　a　sensible　jury；　and　so　on　and　so　forth。　　If　he　didn'tif　he　didn'tthis　day　was　crucial！
  He　stepped　off　the　car　at　Third　and　Market　and　hurried　to　his　office。　　Steger　was　already　there。　　〃Well；　Harper；〃　observed　Cowperwood；　courageously；　〃today's　the　day。〃
  The　Court　of　Quarter　Sessions；　Part　I；　where　this　trial　was　to　take　place；　was　held　in　famous　Independence　Hall；　at　Sixth　and　Chestnut　Streets；　which　was　at　this　time；　as　it　had　been　for　all　of　a　century　before；　the　center　of　local　executive　and　judicial　life。　　It　was　a　low　two…story　building　of　red　brick；　with　a　white　wooden　central　tower　of　old　Dutch　and　English　derivation；　compounded　of　the　square；　the　circle；　and　the　octagon。　　The　total　structure　consisted　of　a　central　portion　and　two　T…shaped　wings　lying　to　the　right　and　left；　whose　small；　oval…topped　old…fashioned　windows　and　doors　were　set　with　those　many…paned　sashes　so　much　admired　by　those　who　love　what　is　known　as　Colonial　architecture。　　Here；　and　in　an　addition　known　as　State　House　Row　（since　torn　down）；　which　extended　from　the　rear　of　the　building　toward　Walnut　Street；　were　located　the　offices　of　the　mayor；　the　chief　of　police；　the　city　treasurer；　the　chambers　of　council；　and　all　the　other　important　and　executive　offices　of　the　city；　together　with　the　four　branches　of　Quarter　Sessions；　which　sat　to　hear　the　growing　docket　of　criminal　cases。　The　mammoth　city　hall　which　was　subsequently　completed　at　Broad　and　Market　Streets　was　then　building。
  An　attempt　had　been　made　to　improve　the　reasonably　large　courtrooms　by　putting　in　them　raised　platforms　of　dark　walnut　surmounted　by　large；　dark　walnut　desks；　behind　which　the　judges　sat；　but　the　attempt　was　not　very　successful。　　The　desks；　jury…boxes；　and　railings　generally　were　made　too　large；　and　so　the　general　effect　was　one　of　disproportion。　　A　cream…colored　wall　had　been　thought　the　appropriate　thing　to　go　with　black　walnut　furniture；　but　time　and　dust　had　made　the　combination　dreary。　　There　were　no　pictures　or　ornaments　of　any　kind；　save　the　stalky；　over…elaborated　gas…brackets　which　stood　on　his　honor's　desk；　and　the　single　swinging　chandelier　suspended　from　the　center　of　the　ceiling。　　Fat　bailiffs　and　court　officers；　concerned　only　in　holding　their　workless　jobs；　did　not　add　anything　to　the　spirit　of　the　scene。　　Two　of　them　in　the　particular　court　in　which　this　trial　was　held　contended　hourly　as　to　which　should　hand　the　judge　a　glass　of　water。　　One　preceded　his　honor　like　a　fat；　stuffy；　dusty　majordomo　to　and　from　his　dressing…room。　　His　business　was　to　call　loudly；　when　the　latter　entered；　〃His　honor　the　Court；　hats　off。　　Everybody　please　rise；〃　while　a　second　bailiff；　standing　at　the　left　of　his　honor　when　he　was　seated；　and　between　the　jury…box　and　the　witness…chair；　recited　in　an　absolutely　unintelligible　way　that　beautiful　and　dignified　statement　of　collective　society's　obligation　to　the　constituent　units；　which　begins；　〃Hear　ye！　hear　ye！　hear　ye！〃　and　ends；　〃All　those　of　you　having　just　cause　for　complaint　draw　near　and　ye　shall　be　heard。〃　　However；　you　would　have　thought　it　was　of　no　import　here。　　Custom　and　indifference　had　allowed　it　to　sink　to　a　mumble。　A　third　bailiff　guarded　the　door　of　the　jury…room；　and　in　addition　to　these　there　were　present　a　court　clerksmall；　pale；　candle…waxy；　with　colorless　milk…and…water　eyes；　and　thin；　pork…fat…colored　hair　and　beard；　who　looked　for　all　the　world　like　an　Americanized　and　decidedly　decrepit　Chinese　mandarinand　a　court　stenographer。
  Judge　Wilbur　Payderson；　a　lean　herring　of　a　man；　who　had　sat　in　this　case　originally　as　the　examining　judge　when　Cowperwood　had　been　indicted　by　the　grand　jury；　and　who　had　bound　him　over　for　trial　at　this　term；　was　a　peculiarly　interesting　type　of　judge；　as　judges　go。　　He　was　so　meager　and　thin…blooded　that　he　was　arresting　for　those　qualities　alone。　　Technically；　he　was　learned　in　the　law；　actually；　so　far　as　life　was　concerned；　absolutely　unconscious　of　that　subtle　chemistry　of　things　that　transcends　all　written　law　and　makes　for　the　spirit　and；　beyond　that；　the　inutility　of　all　law；　as　all　wise　judges　know。　　You　could　have　looked　at　his　lean；　pedantic　body；　his　frizzled　gray　hair；　his　fishy；　blue…gray　eyes；　without　any　depth　of　speculation　in　them；　and　his　nicely　modeled　but　unimportant　face；　and　told　him　that　he　was　without　imagination；　but　he　would　not　have　believed　youwould　have　fined　you　for　contempt　of　court。　　By　the　careful　garnering　of　all　his　little　opportunities；　the　furbishing　up　of　every　meager　advantage；　by　listening　slavishly　to　the　voice　of　party；　and　following　as　nearly　as　he　could　the　behests　of　intrenched　property；　he　had　reached　his　present　state。　　It　was　not　very　far　along；　at　that。　His　salary　was　only　six　thousand　dollars　a　year。　　His　little　fame　did　not　extend　beyond　the　meager　realm　of　local　lawyers　and　judges。　But　the　sight　of　his　name　quoted　daily　as　being　about　his　duties；　or　rendering　such　and　such　a　decision；　was　a　great　satisfaction　to　him。　　He　thought　it　made　him　a　significant　figure　in　the　world。　〃Behold　I　am　not　as　other　men；〃　he　often　thought；　and　this　comforted　him。　　He　was　very　much　flattered　when　a　prominent　case　came　to　his　calendar；　and　as　he　sat　enthroned　before　the　various　litigants　and　lawyers　he　felt；　as　a　rule；　very　significant　indeed。　　Now　and　then　some　subtlety　of　life　would　confuse　his　really　limited　intellect；　but　in　all　such　cases　there　was　the　letter　of　the　law。　　He　could　hunt　in　the　reports　to　find　out　what　really　thinking　men　had　decided。　　Besides；　lawyers　everywhere　are　so　subtle。　　They　put　the　rules　of　law；　favorable　or　unfavorable；　under　the　judge's　thumb　and　nose。　　〃Your　honor；　in　the　thirty…second　volume　of　the　Revised　Reports　of　Massachusetts；　page　so　and　so；　line　so　and　so；　in　Arundel　versus　Bannerman；　you　will　find；　etc。〃　　How　often　have　you　heard　that　in　a　court　of　law？　The　reasoning　that　is　left　to　do　in　most　cases　is　not　much。　　And　the　sanctity　of　the　law　is　raised　like　a　great　banner　by　which　the　pride　of　the　incumbent　is　strengthened。
  Payderson；　as　Steger　had　indicated；　could　scarcely　be　pointed　to　as　an　unjust　j