“Yet of all the words in the play, these two are precisely the two that least need quoting to bring them to remembrance. No one who has read Antony’s speech will ever forget them. Jeff had no need to reiterate here; Antony has done it for him. They were the very heart and blood of it; the master of magic freighted those two words, in their successive differing expression, with praise, uncertainty, doubt, suspicion, invective, certainty, hate, fury, denunciation and revenge. ‘Honorable men!’ And Thorpe, too, is an honorable man! The Honorable S. S. Thorpe! Is that chance? “More yet! Jeff went out of the way to drag in the wholly superfluous statement that Antony said some things after that which would bear reading. As a literary criticism this is beneath contempt. The words of Antony, as reported by William Shakspere, would be all that without the seal of his approval. But let us see! He says ‘after’ Cæsar’s funeral oration. Look at the words, Mr. Ballinger. Do you observe anything unusual?” “I see a blot,” said Leo. “You see a blot--and you speak of it, unhesitatingly, as unusual. Why? Because Jeff was a man of scrupulous neatness, over-particular, old-maidish. If that blot had been made by accident he would have written the page over again. It was made purposely. And so anxious was he that we should not overlook it, that he has fairly sprinkled the blank half-page below his signature with blots, trusting that we would then notice and study out the other one. Let us do it. ‘After’ the funeral oration, he said--but wait. You look, Mr. Beebe; look closely. Do you see anything else there? Pass your finger over it.” “I see and feel where he has twice thrust the pen through the paper,” said Billy, changing color. “And I begin to see, and feel, and believe.” “You mean, doubtless, that you begin to believe and tremble,” said George spitefully. “Now we will find what Antony says ‘after’ the oration, so well worth looking into. Gentlemen, the first words Shakspere puts into Antony’s mouth after the funeral scene are these--and remember it is where the Triumvirs are proscribing senators to death, and that Thorpe was formerly a senator, if only a state senator--hear Mark Antony: “‘_These many, then, shall die; their names are prick’d._’” “Pricked!” echoed George triumphantly. “He has denounced them--two of them--the two we know! Thorpe and Patterson. But perhaps that is a gross improbability--a mere coincidence. If anything is lacking to make the denunciation complete, terrible and compelling, it is now supplied. The next words Antony speaks----” “Wait a minute,” said Pringle, eying Beebe. “Let’s see if Billy can carry on your argument. Can you, Billy?” Billy put a shaky finger on the blot. His voice was hoarse with passion. “‘_He shall not live; look, with a spot I damn him!_’” “He shall not live,” repeated Pringle, “this honorable senator--not if I have to strangle him with my bare hands!”