The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 244: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE RESULT 227 evidence of a gentleman of unquestionable veracity, Mr. Hood, that he saw the prisoner at the bar at the hotel this morning at eight o’clock. Now, even setting aside Mr. Mar- shall’s evidence altogether, can we suppose that the prisoner, if she had escaped from the cottage near London at a little before two in the morning, could have been at Dover at eight? There was no railway train by which she could arrive. Had she travelled post the whole distance, which I compute to be from Edmonton to Dover nearly eighty miles, she could not have done it in the time. As for her performing such a journey on horseback in so short a period, the idea is out of the question. Such a feat could only be accomplished by frequent relays, ordered and arranged beforehand, for to obtain several consecutive changes of horses at such hours, when roadside inns are all shut up and their inmates asleep, would occasion a waste of time far beyond what can enter into the present computation. In addition, however, to the evidence of Mr. Marshall, proving that the lady was at his hotel at seven o’clock last evening, and to that of Mr. Hood, proving that she was there at eight this morning, we have the circumstantial evidence spoken to by the assistant, proving that she was there soon after three this morning. Therefore, taking all these facts into consideration, I can only come to one conclusion, namely, that it is a case of mistaken identity under very extraordinary circumstances, and I have no alter- native but to declare the alibi most satisfactorily established, and to discharge the prisoner from custody.”’ Mr. Marlow slapped his hand violently down upon the ledge of the witness-box, and exclaimed, ‘‘ Well, sir, I can scarcely blame you for the decision to which you have come, considering all that has transpired, and here, therefore, the matter drops. But in future I shall believe in nothing I hear, see, or touch. If anybody tells me at noonday that the sun is shining, I shall answer that it may possibly be so, but it 1s not certain.”’ Having thus spoken with excited volubility, Mr. Marlow bowed to the mayor and hurried out of the court. Lady Bess then returned to the Admiral’s Head in com- pany with her friends, and immediately on their arrival at the tavern, Mr. Hood earnestly counselled her to take her composing draught and go to bed, or the excitement which she had undergone would be very likely to bring back her GoOmicdoo Ss (FO)