wers
that be."

"Oho, so it is not a case of a 'deed of execution?'"

"By no means. It is a far more important matter that is at stake. The
Court considers the atheistical irreligious 'attentats' have gone too
far and therefore has sent us--"

"--To preach me a sermon? No, sir magistrate, now you must really bring
those irons, and put me in chains, and bind me, for unbound I will not
listen to your sermon. Hold me down if you wish to preach words of
devotion to me, for otherwise I shall bite, like a wild animal."

The magistrate retreated, in spite of his youthful daring; but the
lawyer only smiled gently and did not even take his hands from behind
his back.

"Really, sir, you must not get mad, or we shall have to take you to the
Rokus hospital,[22] and put the strait-jacket on you."

[Footnote 22: A hospital in Pest.]

"The devil blight you!" roared Topandy, making for the two judges, and
then retiring before the undisturbed smiling countenance of the lawyer.
"Well, and what complaint has the Court to make of me? Have I stolen
anything from anybody? Have I committed incendiarism? Have I committed a
murder, that they come down so hard upon me?"

The magistrate was a ready speaker: immediately he answered with:

"Certainly, you have committed a theft: you have stolen the welfare of
others' souls. Certainly you are an incendiary: you have set fire to the
peace of faithful souls. Certainly you are a murderer: you have murdered
the souls entrusted to you!"

Topandy, seeing there was no escape, turned entreatingly to the
gendarmes who accompanied the magistrate.

"Boys, cherubims without wings, two of you come here and seize me, that
I may not run away."

They obeyed him and laid hands on him.

"Well, my dear magistrate, fire away."

The worthy magistrate was annoyed, that this sorry business could not in
any way assume a serious aspect.

"In the first place I come to see the execution of that judgment which
the honorable Court has passed upon you."

"I bow my head,"--growled Topandy in a tone of derisive subservience.

"You have in your household youths and young girls growing up in various
branches of service, who, born here, have never yet been baptized,
thanks to your sinful neglect."

"Excuse me, the general drying up of wells...."

"Don't interrupt me," bawled the magistrate. "You should have produced
your defence then and there, when and where you were accused; but as you
did not appear at the