When Lord Maxwell ceased, she said quickly, and as he thought unreasonably-- "So you will not sign ?" "No," he replied firmly, "I cannot sign.

Holding the conviction about the matter I do, I should be giving my name to statements I do not believe; and in order to give myself the pleasure of pleasing you, and of indulging the pity that every man must feel for every murderer's wife and children, I should be not only committing a public wrong, but I should be doing what I could to lessen the safety and security of one whole class of my servants--men who give me honourable service--and two of whom have been so cruelly, so wantonly hurried before their Maker!" His voice gave the first sign of his own deep and painful feeling on the matter.

Marcella shivered.
"Then," she said slowly, "Hurd will be executed." Lord Maxwell had a movement of impatience.
"Let me tell you," he said, "that that does not follow at all.

There is _some_ importance in signatures--or rather in the local movement that the signatures imply.

It enables a case to be reopened, which, in any event, this case is sure to be.