here till doom's-day
before I find him guilty. Are we, that are all loyal Protestants, to
bring out a varjuice to please the Papishes? Oh, no, faith; but here's
the thing, gentlemen; mark me; here now, I take off my shoes, and I'll
ait them before I find him guilty;" and as he spoke he deliberately
slipped of his shoes, and placed them on the table, ready for his tough
and loyal repast.

"By Gog," said another, "I'll hang him, in spite of your _teeth_; and,
afther aiten your brogues, you may go barefooted if you like. I have
brogues to ait as well as you, and one of mine is as big as two of
yours."

This was followed by a chorus of laughter, after which they began to
consider the case before them, like admirable and well-reasoning
jurors, as they were. Two hours passed in wrangling and talking and
recriminating, when, at last, one of them, striking the table, exclaimed
with an oath:

"All Europe won't save the villain. Didn't he seduce my sister's
daughter, and then throw her and her child back, with shame and
disgrace, on the family, without support?"

"Look at that," said the owner of the shoe, holding it up triumphantly;
"that's my supper to-night, and my argument in his defence. I say
our--Protestant champion mustn't hang, at least until I starve first."

The other, who sat opposite to him, put his hand across the table, and
snatching the shoe, struck its owner between the two eyes with it and
knocked him back on the floor. A scene of uproar took place, which
lasted for some minutes, but at length, by the influence of the foreman,
matters were brought to a somewhat amicable issue. In this way they
spent the time for a few hours more, when one of the usual messengers
came to know if they had agreed; but he was instantly dismissed to a
very warm settlement, with the assurance that they had not.

"Come," said one of them, pulling out a pack of cards, "let us amuse
ourselves at any rate. Who's for a hand at the Spoil Five?"

The cards were looked upon as a godsend, and in a few moments one half
the jury were busily engaged at that interesting game. The other portion
of them amused themselves, in the meantime, as well as they could.

"Tom," said one of them, "were you ever on a special jury in a revenue
case?"

"No," replied Tom, "never. Is there much fun?"

"The devil's own fun; because if we find for the defendant, he's sure to
give us a splendid feed. But do you know how we manage when we find that
we ca