"Pardon me for putting myself forward," he said, with his customary
politeness. "Speaking as an abstainer from fermented liquors, I must
really protest against these allusions to barmaids."

"Speaking as a consumer of fermented liquors," the invalid remarked, "I
wish I had a barmaid and a bottle of champagne before me now."

Superior to interruption, the admirable foreman went on:

"Whatever you may think, gentlemen, of the prisoner's marriage, we have
it in evidence that his relatives turned their backs on him from that
moment--with the one merciful exception of the head of the family. Lord
Le Basque exerted his influence with the Admiralty, and obtained for
his brother (then out of employment) an appointment to a ship. All
the witnesses agree that Mr. Westerfield thoroughly understood his
profession. If he could have controlled himself, he might have risen to
high rank in the Navy. His temper was his ruin. He quarreled with one of
his superior officers--"

"Under strong provocation," said a member of the jury.

"Under strong provocation," the foreman admitted. "But provocation
is not an excuse, judged by the rules of discipline. The prisoner
challenged the officer on duty to fight a duel, at the first
opportunity, on shore; and, receiving a contemptuous refusal, struck him
on the quarter-deck. As a matter of course, Mr. Westerfield was tried by
court-martial, and was dismissed the service. Lord Le Basque's patience
was not exhausted yet. The Merchant Service offered a last chance to the
prisoner of retrieving his position, to some extent at least. He was fit
for the sea, and fit for nothing else. At my lord's earnest request the
owners of the _John Jerniman_, trading between Liverpool and Rio, took
Mr. Westerfield on trial as first mate, and, to his credit be it said,
he justified his brother's faith in him. In a tempest off the coast of
Africa the captain was washed overboard and the first mate succeeded
to the command. His seamanship and courage saved the vessel, under
circumstances of danger which paralyzed the efforts of the other
officers.. He was confirmed, rightly confirmed, in the command of
the ship. And, so far, we shall certainly not be wrong if we view his
character on the favorable side."

There the foreman paused, to collect his ideas.

Certain members of the assembly--led by the juryman who wanted his
dinner, and supported by his inattentive colleague, then engaged in
drawing a ship in a storm, a