"Stop!" I broke in hotly. "Your power to hang me doth not include the right to smirch a fair, good name. My father was as true and brave a gentleman as e’er----" [Illustration: MICHAEL FANE BEFORE JUDGE JEFFREYS] "What’s that, sirrah?" shrieked the judge with throttling fury. "You dare to interrupt me! Behold him, gentlemen!" he added, turning to the jury, while he waved a hand at me. "Hark how yon mountain of iniquity doth brazenly affront and flout me! Didst ever hear the like of such amazing impudence? Oh, Michael Fane, thou cunning, treacherous dog, have a care, yea, have a care, or ’twill be bad indeed for thee! Again I say you are the offspring of as traitorous and false a sire as----" "And I say again----" I began; but at that his fury burst forth like a cataract. "Sirrah," he shouted, waving his arms and thumping the desk in front of him, "you dare to interrupt again! Have a care, yea, have a care, you bellowing bull of Bashan! Another word, and, by my life, I’ll have you swung off now from yonder beam! Ah! that tames you, does it? Say, how tall are ye?" "Six feet two." "Six feet two! Behold him, gentlemen! Measure him with your eyes! Seventy and four inches of such vileness as you ne’er set eyes upon before! And how old are ye, pray?" "Eighteen." "Eighteen!" cried Jeffreys, raising both hands as though amazed. "Eighteen, say ye! Gentlemen, gentlemen! Just consider it! To think that such a sapling should have brought forth such a crop of wickedness! Heavens, if it doth not almost make my heart stop beating! Oh, Michael Fane, thou lusty limb of infamy! doth it not seem to you a mockery that I should have to ask what plea you make? Yet, as the law is fair and merciful e’en to such rogues as you, I must. What is it, counsel?" The lawyer who, as I have said, was there for our defence, rose tremblingly and answered: "The prisoner pleads not guilty, your lordship." "What!" shrieked the judge, addressing me. "You dare to make so false a plea? Are ye not afraid of instant judgment from above for uttering so black a lie? Zounds! if I think not that this very court is in rank peril from avenging thunderbolts while we share it with such a Jonah of a villain! Not guilty, quotha? You, who like a wolf in sheep’s skin, made pretence to fight at Sedgemoor, and, as I’ll warrant me, killed many a king’s man under cover of the darkness! You, who aided and abetted rebels! You, who defied that zealous soldier, Colonel Kirke, and strove to stop him in his duty! You, who with rank insolence deserted your sovereign’s service! What say ye to these charges, fellow?" "It seems as though ’twere folly to say anything," I answered. "Yet will I swear that I fought not treacherously at Sedgemoor, but fair and straight, and that ’twas only Colonel Kirke’s abominable cruelty to helpless prisoners which made me----"