, for taking these rags,"
exhibiting some cloth that happened to be torn; "and this is the sum
and substance of her offence! And all these witnesses," pointing to a
group, who had pushed themselves forward, "have been brought into this
honourable court, to affix the ownership of the high and mighty noble
Duke and Duchess to these cast-off, worn-out clothes! And here comes
this fine gentleman to swear to the robber of that," holding up the
garment, "which he himself would not accept as a gift! Shame, say I;
and I am certain every one of your hearts, Gentlemen of the Jury,
reechoes my indignant feeling! Shame, say I, on everyone of the
party," pausing to give one of his looks to each individual, "that
is concerned in such a business! Why, it is more like a conspiracy
against this poor destitute woman, against whom I lament to see my
very honourable and learned brethren," pointing to the other counsel,
"here arrayed--it is more like a conspiracy (not that my learned
friends have lot, or part, or feeling in the business)--more like a
conspiracy against this woman, than any, the least act of felony on
her part. These clothes! I pray you look at them, Gentlemen of the
Jury--these clothes!! Can you conceive, Gentlemen, that if you were
a Duke and Duchess of N----, you would have even offered to give a
housekeeper, a woman of credit and respectability--a fellow-servant of
this fine gentleman before you--such worn-out rags as these? Would you
have thought it worthy of consideration, if such a servant had thought
proper to appropriate to her own use a cart-load of this trumpery? If
the poor woman did remove out of sight such trash as this, all I say
is, that she seems to have had more respect for the credit and
honour of that noble house than any of the people whose ridiculous
pretensions to honesty have persecuted her and exhibited themselves
here. _Gentlemen and Ladies_, witnesses! I have done with you; you may
all leave the court!"

They were all glad to take him at the first word, and in a few minutes
not one of them was to be seen. "I have heard," he continued, "of the
pride of a noble house, and of its poverty, being nearly allied;
but here we have all the poverty and none of the pride!" Some one
unluckily said that the things were not all in that torn state.
"What," said he, with the utmost contempt, looking to the party, "is
there any one that wishes to exhibit his devoted baseness? Let him not
whisper here behind my bac