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1"I commit my cause to the justice of my judges, yet I see no room for hope. I beg permission to have a few witnesses
2examined concerning my character, and if their testimony shall not overweigh my supposed guilt, I must be condemned,
3although I would pledge my salvation on my innocence." Several witnesses were called who had known her for many years,
4and they spoke well of her; but fear and hatred of the crime of which they supposed her guilty rendered them timorous
5and unwilling to come forward. Elizabeth saw even this last resource, her excellent dispositions and irreproachable
6conduct, about to fail the accused, when, although violently agitated, she desired permission to address the court. "I
7am," said she, "the cousin of the unhappy child who was murdered, or rather his sister, for I was educated by and have
8lived with his parents ever since and even long before his birth. It may therefore be judged indecent in me to come
9forward on this occasion, but when I see a fellow creature about to perish through the cowardice of her pretended
10friends, I wish to be allowed to speak, that I may say what I know of her character. I am well acquainted with the
11accused. I have lived in the same house with her, at one time for five and at another for nearly two years. During all
12that period she appeared to me the most amiable and benevolent of human creatures. She nursed Madame Frankenstein, my
13aunt, in her last illness, with the greatest affection and care and afterwards attended her own mother during a tedious
14illness, in a manner that excited the admiration of all who knew her, after which she again lived in my uncle's house,
15where she was beloved by all the family. She was warmly attached to the child who is now dead and acted towards him like
16a most affectionate mother. For my own part, I do not hesitate to say that, notwithstanding all the evidence produced
17against her, I believe and rely on her perfect innocence. She had no temptation for such an action; as to the bauble on
18which the chief proof rests, if she had earnestly desired it, I should have willingly given it to her, so much do I
19esteem and value her." A murmur of approbation followed Elizabeth's simple and powerful appeal, but it was excited by
20her generous interference, and not in favour of poor Justine, on whom the public indignation was turned with renewed
21violence, charging her with the blackest ingratitude. She herself wept as Elizabeth spoke, but she did not answer. My
22own agitation and anguish was extreme during the whole trial. I believed in her innocence; I knew it. Could the dæmon
23who had (I did not for a minute doubt) murdered my brother also in his hellish sport have betrayed the innocent to death
24and ignominy? I could not sustain the horror of my situation, and when I perceived that the popular voice and the
25countenances of the judges had already condemned my unhappy victim, I rushed out of the court in agony. The tortures of
26the accused did not equal mine; she was sustained by innocence, but the fangs of remorse tore my bosom and would not
27forgo their hold. I passed a night of unmingled wretchedness. In the morning I went to the court; my lips and throat
28were parched. I dared not ask the fatal question, but I was known, and the officer guessed the cause of my visit. The
29ballots had been thrown; they were all black, and Justine was condemned. I cannot pretend to describe what I then felt.
30I had before experienced sensations of horror, and I have endeavoured to bestow upon them adequate expressions, but
31words cannot convey an idea of the heart-sickening despair that I then endured. The person to whom I addressed myself
32added that Justine had already confessed her guilt. "That evidence," he observed, "was hardly required in so glaring a
33case, but I am glad of it, and, indeed, none of our judges like to condemn a criminal upon circumstantial evidence, be
34it ever so decisive." This was strange and unexpected intelligence; what could it mean? Had my eyes deceived me? And was
35I really as mad as the whole world would believe me to be if I disclosed the object of my suspicions? I hastened to
36return home, and Elizabeth eagerly demanded the result. "My cousin," replied I, "it is decided as you may have expected;
37all judges had rather that ten innocent should suffer than that one guilty should escape. But she has confessed." This
38was a dire blow to poor Elizabeth, who had relied with firmness upon Justine's innocence. "Alas!" said she. "How shall I
39ever again believe in human goodness? Justine, whom I loved and esteemed as my sister, how could she put on those smiles
40of innocence only to betray? Her mild eyes seemed incapable of any severity or guile, and yet she has committed a
41murder." Soon after we heard that the poor victim had expressed a desire to see my cousin. My father wished her not to
42go but said that he left it to her own judgment and feelings to decide. "Yes," said Elizabeth, "I will go, although she
43is guilty; and you, Victor, shall accompany me; I cannot go alone." The idea of this visit was torture to me, yet I
44could not refuse. We entered the gloomy prison chamber and beheld Justine sitting on some straw at the farther end; her
45hands were manacled, and her head rested on her knees. She rose on seeing us enter, and when we were left alone with
46her, she threw herself at the feet of Elizabeth, weeping bitterly. My cousin wept also. "Oh, Justine!" said she. "Why
47did you rob me of my last consolation? I relied on your innocence, and although I was then very wretched, I was not so
48miserable as I am now." "And do you also believe that I am so very, very wicked? Do you also join with my enemies to
49crush me, to condemn me as a murderer?" Her voice was suffocated with sobs. "Rise, my poor girl," said Elizabeth; "why
50do you kneel, if you are innocent? I am not one of your enemies, I believed you guiltless, notwithstanding every
51evidence, until I heard that you had yourself declared your guilt. That report, you say, is false; and be assured, dear
52Justine, that nothing can shake my confidence in you for a moment, but your own confession." "I did confess, but I
53confessed a lie. I confessed, that I might obtain absolution; but now that falsehood lies heavier at my heart than all
54my other sins. The God of heaven forgive me! Ever since I was condemned, my confessor has besieged me; he threatened and
55menaced, until I almost began to think that I was the monster that he said I was. He threatened excommunication and hell
56fire in my last moments if I continued obdurate. Dear lady, I had none to support me; all looked on me as a wretch
57doomed to ignominy and perdition. What could I do? In an evil hour I subscribed to a lie; and now only am I truly
58miserable." She paused, weeping, and then continued, "I thought with horror, my sweet lady, that you should believe your
59Justine, whom your blessed aunt had so highly honoured, and whom you loved, was a creature capable of a crime which none
60but the devil himself could have perpetrated. Dear William! dearest blessed child! I soon shall see you again in heaven,
61where we shall all be happy; and that consoles me, going as I am to suffer ignominy and death." "Oh, Justine! Forgive me
62for having for one moment distrusted you. Why did you confess? But do not mourn, dear girl. Do not fear. I will
63proclaim, I will prove your innocence. I will melt the stony hearts of your enemies by my tears and prayers. You shall
64not die! You, my playfellow, my companion, my sister, perish on the scaffold! No! No! I never could survive so horrible
65a misfortune." Justine shook her head mournfully. "I do not fear to die," she said; "that pang is past. God raises my
66weakness and gives me courage to endure the worst. I leave a sad and bitter world; and if you remember me and think of
67me as of one unjustly condemned, I am resigned to the fate awaiting me. Learn from me, dear lady, to submit in patience
68to the will of heaven!"
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