I may as well give a slight sketch of the characters of the three magistrates. Sir Thomas Henry was the very model of a police-court beak. He was tall and slim, and had natural dignity--a very different thing from the assumption of it. He was a good lawyer and a perfect courtier--not a mere police courtier. He liked approval, and whene'er he made a palpable hit in a passage of arms with an important counsel (specially retained), he would glance round the Court to see if it had been appreciated. After an effective summing up, the auditors in the body of the Court would sometimes break out with loud applause. Sir Thomas Henry would sternly observe that if such unseemly manifestations were again displayed, he should order the Court to be cleared. For all that, Sir Thomas liked that applause and was much gratified by it. Mr. Frederick Flowers was a totally different type of man altogether. He was short, and had iron-grey hair and whiskers. He was exceedingly kind--much too kind for a magistrate, and possessed a dangerous talent for being humorous in Court. He hated to punish people and had a tendency to let everybody off--and did, if he could do so legally. I remember once a woman, an old offender, being sentenced by one of the other magistrates to a month's imprisonment. On being removed from the dock by the gaoler she shouted, "Look here, the next time I am charged here I'll take jolly good care it's before old Flowers." A little boy of about eight years of age was charged with snowballing an old gentleman. Mr. Flowers read the boy a kindly lecture, and told him never to snowball people in the streets again. As he had been detained in the gaoler's room for four hours and had been crying his eyes out, Mr. Flowers added that the child was evidently very sorry for what he had done, and would, therefore, be discharged. The mother who was advised to keep a better watch over her boy in future, came forward with profusions of thanks, and carried off the little prisoner in triumph. The prosecutor, who had watched the proceedings with amazement, here stepped into the box, and, addressing Mr. Flowers, said: "Why, your worship, you've let him off." _Mr. Flowers:_ Of course I have. _Prosecutor:_ What for? _Mr. Flowers:_ You wouldn't have me punish a child like that, would you? _Prosecutor:_ Of course I would--what have I had him brought in here for? _Mr. Flowers:_ I think he has been sufficiently punished. _Prosecutor:_ But look here--he has cut my cheek. _Mr. Flowers:_ Well, he did not do that on purpose. _Prosecutor:_ He snowballed me on purpose. _Mr. Flowers:_ Yes, but he didn't mean to cut your face. _Prosecutor:_ Well, he has done it, at all events. _Mr. Flowers:_ And he is very sorry, and so am I sorry; but I dare say when you were a boy you were in the habit of snowballing old gentlemen. At all events, I know I used to snowball people, and I am not going to fine any boy for doing what I used to do myself.