Of these three men, Bunce was assured that the prisoner
was innocent,--led to such assurance partly by belief in the man,
and partly by an innate spirit of opposition to all exercise of
restrictive power. Mr. Quintus Slide was certain of the prisoner's
guilt, and gave himself considerable credit for having assisted in
running down the criminal. It seemed to be natural to Mr. Quintus
Slide that a man who had openly quarrelled with the Editor of _The
People's Banner_ should come to the gallows. Mr. Monk, as Phineas
himself well knew, had doubted. He had received the suspected
murderer into his warmest friendship, and was made miserable even
by his doubts. Since the circumstances of the case had come to his
knowledge, they had weighed upon his mind so as to sadden his whole
life. But he was a man who could not make his reason subordinate to
his feelings. If the evidence against his friend was strong enough
to send his friend for trial, how should he dare to discredit the
evidence because the man was his friend? He had visited Phineas in
prison, and Phineas had accused him of doubting.
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