A large number of the audience left the
hall in haste. The judge grew white to the lips, whether with anger or
fear I did not know, said a few words to his neighbour, and then with a
great effort to control himself, said to me:
"You put us, sir, by your words, in a very painful position. You do not
know the conditions under which we live--that is evident--and
intemperate language like yours has before now provoked an invasion of
our peace of a most undesirable kind. I entreat you to calm yourself, to
accept the apologies of the Court for the incidental and indeed
unjustifiable violence with which you were treated. If you will only
return to your own community, the nature of which I will not now stay to
inquire, you may be assured that you will be conducted to our gates with
the utmost honour. Will you pledge yourself as a gentleman, and, as I
believe I am right in saying, as a Christian, to do this?"
"Yes," I said, "upon one condition: that I may have an interview with
the Lady Cynthia, and that she may be free to accompany me, if she
wishes."
The President was about to reply, when a sudden and unlooked-for
interruption occurred.
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