and within the jurisdiction of this court, did array themselves in a warlike manner, with guns and other weapons, offensive and defensive, and did proceed from the said island down the river Ohio in the county aforesaid, within the Virginia District, and within the jurisdiction of this court, on the said eleventh day of December, in the year one thousand, eight hundred and six aforesaid, with the wicked and traitorous intention to descend the said river and the river Mississippi, and by force and arms traitorously to take possession of the city commonly called New Orleans, in the territory of Orleans, belonging to the United States, contrary to the duty of their said allegiance and fidelity, against the Constitution, peace, and dignity of the United States and against the form of the Act of Congress of the United States in such case made and provided.”

The clerk ceased to read.  When the last sonorous word had died upon the air, the audience yet sat or stood in silence, bent a little forward, in the attitude of listeners.  This lasted an appreciable moment, then the tension snapped.  Marshall moved slightly in his great chair, Judge Griffin coughed, a rustling sound and a deep breath ran through the Hall.  The prisoner, who had faced with the most perfect composure the indictment’s long thunder, now slightly inclined his head to the Judges and took his seat.  His counsel, ostentatiously easy and smiling, gathered about him, and the District Attorney rose to open for the Government in a lengthy and able speech.

In the gallery, among the fluttering fans, Jacqueline asked herself if her rising and quitting the place would disturb those about her.  She was in the very front, beside the gallery rail, there was a great crowd behind, she must stay it out.  She bit her lip, forced back emotion, strove with resolution to conquer the too visionary aspect of all things before her.  It had been foolish, she knew now, to come.  She had not dreamed with what strong and feverish grasp such a scene could take prisoner the imagination.  She saw too plainly much that was not there; she brought other figures into the Hall; abstractions and realities, they thronged the place.  The place itself widened until to her inner sense it was as wide as her world and her life.  Fontenoy was there and the house on the Three-Notched Road; Roselands, and much besides.  For all the heat, and the fluttering of the fans, and the roll of declamation from the District Attorney, who was now upon the definition of treason, one night in February was there as well, the night that had seen so much imperilled, the night that had seen, thank God! the cloud go by.  Of all the images that thronged upon her, creating a strange tumult of the soul, darkening her eyes and driving the faint colour from her cheek, the image of that evening was the most insistent.  It was, perhaps, aided by her fancy that in that cool survey of the Hall in which the prisoner indulged himself, his eyes, keen and darting