language became that
of the cockpit. Recovering at last, he tried gentleness again, and very
elaborately invited Dunne, in my lady's own interest, to tell him what
was the business to which he had referred to Barter.

"She asked me whether I did not know that Hicks was a Nonconformist."

"That cannot be all. There must be something more in it."

"Yes, my lord," Dunne protested, "it is all. I know nothing more."

"Was there ever such an impudent rascal?" roared the judge. "Dolt think
that, after all the pains I have been at to get an answer, thou canst
banter me with such sham stuff as this? Hold the candle to his brazen
face, that we may see it clearly."

Dunne stood terrified and trembling under the glance of those terrible
eyes.

"My lord," he cried, "I am so baulked, I am cluttered out of my senses."

Again he was put down whilst Colonel Penruddock gave his evidence of
the apprehension of the rebels. When he had told how he found Hicks and
Dunne concealed under some stuff in the malt-house, Dunne was brought
back yet again, that Jeffreys might resume his cross-examination.

"Dunne, how came you to hide yourself in the malthouse?"

"My lord," said Dunne foolishly, "I was frighted by the noise."

"Prithee, what needest thou be afraid of, for thou didst not know
Hicks nor Nelthorp; and my lady only asked thee whether Hicks were a
Nonconformist parson. Surely, so very innocent a soul needed no occasion
to be afraid. I doubt there was something in the case of that business
we were talking of before. If we could but get out of thee what it was."

But Dunne continued to evade.

"My lord, I heard a great noise in the house, and did not know what it
meant. So I went and hid myself."

"It is very strange thou shouldst hide thyself for a little noise, when
thou knewest nothing of the business."

Again the witness, with a candle still held close to his nose,
complained that he was quite cluttered out of his senses, and did not
know what he was saying.

"But to tell the truth would not rob thee of any of thy senses, if ever
thou hadst any," Jeffreys told him angrily. "But it would seem that
neither thou nor thy mistress, the prisoner, had any; for she knew
nothing of it either, though she had sent for them thither."

"My lord," cried her ladyship at that, "I hope I shall not be condemned
without being heard."

"No, God forbid, Mrs. Lisle," he answered; and then viciously flashed
forth a hint of the true forces