"Pray do, pray do," cried the justice, delighted to be delivered from an inquiry which he knew not how to conduct; "I always think it a proper compliment, Sir Harry West, to a brother magistrate, when he does me the honour to visit me, to let him do just as he likes in my court." "You are extremely polite and courteous, Master Scully," answered the old knight. "Now, sir, upon your oath, what right have you to this girl's services?" "Why, I bought and paid for her with my own money," replied the man, boldly. "In this country?" asked Sir Harry. "No," answered Weston, "in Italy." "Lucky for yourself it is so," said the old knight; "otherwise, it would have been a misdemeanour, for which you must have been instantly committed." "Please your worship," rejoined Weston, who was not one easily to lose his hold, "the girl is my apprentice." "Show me her indentures," said Sir Harry West; "we may have cause to cancel them before we have done." "I have them not here with me," answered the man, with a sullen look. "Well, 'tis no great matter," replied Sir Harry West; "for, according to your own statement, they are null in themselves, if they do exist. You paid for her, you say, instead of receiving with her an apprentice fee--the law of England recognises no such transactions." "Well," said the man, "she is my servant, at least, and has no right to quit me without due notice, that I might provide myself with another. A runaway servant is punishable by all laws!" "If they run away without due cause," answered Sir Harry West; "but if there be cause, I think, Master Scully, we have no law to punish them." "Certainly not," replied his worship. "If any master requires his servant to do what is against the law of God or man, the servant has a right to run away. When you brought her to my house last night to play on the lute, she seemed very well contented." "No, she was not," answered Weston; "she told me a month ago that she would leave me." "But what made me tell you so?" cried Ida Mara, bursting forth; "why don't you tell what you said to me? Will you tell what you wanted me to do?" "Nothing, you fool," cried Weston, with his sharp eyes flashing fire; "you mistook what I said; but if ever I catch you, I'll take the skin off your back." "That you shall never do," said Sir Harry West. "I think your worship," he continued, turning to the justice, "that the case is very clear." "So I think too, Sir Harry," replied the magistrate; "the girl must be discharged--the girl must be discharged; and if he attempts to molest her, we will punish him." "I have some doubts whether he does not deserve punishment already," said Sir Harry West. "However, as we have no charge against him, I suppose he must be suffered to depart for the present."