than the prior of the
Monks of the Screw who had spoken. Mrs. Rooney made her appearance at
the moment, and my attention was soon taken away by the announcement of
dinner.

One of the judges arrived in time to offer his arm, and I could not
help feeling amused at the mock-solemnity of the procession, as we moved
along. The judge, I may observe, was a young man, lately promoted, and
one whose bright eye and bold, dashing expression bore many more traces
of the outer bar than it smacked of the dull gravity of the bench. He
took the end of the table beside Mrs. Paul, and the others soon seated
themselves promiscuously along the table.

There is a species of gladiatorial exhibition in lawyers' society which
is certainly very amusing. No one speaks without the foreknowledge that
he is to be caught up, punned up, or ridiculed, as the case may be. The
whole conversation is therefore a hailstorm of short stories, quips,
and retorts, intermingled with details of successful bar-stratagems, and
practical jokes played off upon juries. With less restraint than at a
military mess, there is a strong professional feeling of deference for
the seniors, and much more tact and knowledge of the world to unite
them. While thus the whole conversation ran on topics of the circuit, I
was amazed at Mrs. Rooney's perfect intimacy with all the niceties of
a law joke, or the fun of a _nisi prius_ story. She knew the chief
peculiarities of the several persons alluded to, and laughed loud and
long at the good things she listened to. The judge alone, above all
others, had the lady's ear. His bold but handsome features, his rich
commanding voice (nothing the worse that it was mellowed by a little
brogue), his graceful action and manly presence, stamped him as one well
suited to be successful wherever good looks, ready tact, and consummate
conversational powers have a field for their display. His stories were
few, but always pertinent and well told; and frequently the last joke at
the table was capped by him, when no one else could have ventured to
try it, while the rich roll of his laugh was a guarantee for mirth that
never failed.

It was just when my attention was drawn off by Mrs. Booney to some
circumstance of our former intimacy, that a hearty burst of laughing
from the end of the table told that something unusually absurd was being
related.

'Yes, sir,' said a shrewd-looking, thin old fellow in spectacles, 'we
capitulated, on condition of l