noon
She carried a child on her left arm . No dweller in cities could suspect this face of crime . As well indict a calf . Yet the witnesses proved beyond a doubt that she had been seen with her baby in the neighborhood of a certain old well on a certain day at noon ; that soon after noon she had been seen on the road without her baby , and being asked what had become of it , had said she had left it with her aunt , ten miles off ; and that about an hour after that a faint cry had been heard at the bottom of the old well -- it was ninety feet deep ; people had assembled , and a brave farmer 's boy had been lowered in the bight of a cart-rope , and had brought up a dead hen , and a live child , bleeding at the cheek , having fallen on a heap of fagots at the bottom of the well ; which child was the prisoner 's . Sir Charles had the evidence written down , and then told the accused she might make a counter-statement if she chose , but it would be wiser to say nothing at all . Thereupon the accused dropped him a little short courtesy , looked him steadily in the face with her pale gray eyes , and delivered herself as follows : `` If you please , sir , I was a-sitting by th ' old well , with baby in my arms ; and I was mortal tired , I was , wi ' carring of him ; he be uncommon heavy for his age ; and , if you please , sir , he is uncommon resolute ; and while I was so he give a leap right out of my arms and fell down th ' old well . I screams , and runs away to tell my brother 's wife , as lives at top of the hill ; but she was gone into North Wood for dry sticks to light her oven ; and when I comes back they had got him out of the well , and I claims him directly ; and the constable said we must come before you , sir ; so here we be . ''