Arch. (severely).  I must ask you not to jest with me in the sacredly respectable precincts of a Court of Justice.  To the best of my remembrance, there were present at the commencement of your discourse but three persons exclusive of yourself.  That fact is impressed on my mind from the rude and coarse words which you said when you mounted your stool or rostrum to the friend who accompanied you and had under his arm a bundle of a very reprehensible and ribald print called the Commonweal, one of which he, I may say, forced me to purchase.

J.  F.  Well, what did I say?

Arch.  You said, “I say, Bill! damned hard lines to have to speak to a lamp-post, a kid, and an old buffer”—­by the latter vulgarity indicating myself, as I understand.

J.  F.  Yes, my lord, so it is.  Now let me ask you, if that matters, is Beadon Road a thronged thoroughfare?

Arch.  On the contrary; at least on the morning on which I was there, there was a kind of Sabbath rest about it, scarcely broken by the harangue of yourself, sir.

J.  F.  You heard what I said, my lord?

Arch.  I did, and was much shocked at it.

J.  F.  Well, did I say anything about bowels?

Arch.  I regret to say that you did.

J.  F.  Do you remember the words I used?

Arch.  Only too well.  You said, but at great length, and with much embroidery of language more than questionable, that capital had no bowels for the worker, nor owners of capital either; and that since no one else would be kind to them, the workers must be kind to themselves and take the matter into their own hands.

J.  N. (making notes).  Owners of the capital; workman must take the matter—­take the matter—­into their own hands.

J.  F.  Well, I have no more questions to ask your Grace.

Mr. H.  With many excuses, your Grace, I will ask you a question.

Arch.  Certainly, Mr Hungary.

Mr. H.  You say that the audience was very small; that was at first; but did it not increase as time went on?

Arch.  Yes; an itinerant vendor of ices drew up his stall there, and two policemen—­these gentlemen—­strolled in, and some ten or more others stood round us before the orator had finished.

Mr. H. (Aside:  H’m! old beggar will be so very specific.  Let’s try him as to the sedition.) (To ARCH.) My lord, you said that you were shocked at what the prisoner said:  what was the nature of his discourse?

Arch.  I regret to have to say that it was a mass of the most frightful incendiarism, delivered with an occasional air of jocularity and dry humour that made my flesh creep.  Amidst the persistent attacks on property he did not spare other sacred things.  He even made an attack on my position, stating (wrongly) the amount of my moderate stipend.  Indeed, I think he recognised me, although I was partially disguised.