had was against M. Bernard, and that I could not trust that evidence
myself."

"You are not asked to explain this at present. Please keep to your
evidence."

"One moment. I have my honour to defend; I have to explain my own
conduct, if you please."

"You are not the prisoner; you are not here to plead your own cause. If
the court thinks right to prosecute you for contempt you can see to your
own defence; but there is no question of that now."

"I beg your pardon. The question is for me to let the court see whether
I am an honest man or a false witness. It would seem that this has
something to do with the case; the prisoner's life depends on it; the
court cannot consider that a matter of indifference."

"Proceed," said the King's advocate, "and try to remember the respect
you owe to the court."

"I have no wish to offend the court," replied Patience. "I would merely
observe that a man may refuse to submit to the orders of the court from
conscientious motives which the court can legally condemn, but which
each judge, personally, can understand and excuse. I say, then, that I
could not persuade myself of Bernard de Mauprat's guilt; my ears alone
knew of it; this was not enough for me. Pardon me, gentlemen, I, too, am
a judge. Make inquiries about me; in my village they call me 'the great
judge.' When my fellow-villagers ask me to decide some tavern dispute or
the boundary of some field, I do not so much listen to their opinions
as my own. In judging a man one must take account of more than a single
little act. Many previous ones will help to show the truth or falsity
of the last that is imputed to him. Thus, being unable to believe that
Bernard was a murderer, and having heard more than a dozen people, whom
I consider incapable of giving false evidence, testify to the fact that
a monk 'bearing a resemblance to the Mauprats' had been prowling about
the country, and having myself seen this monk's back and habit as he
was passing through Pouligny on the morning of the event, I wished to
discover if he was in Varenne; and I learnt that he was still there;
that is to say, after leaving it, he had returned about the time of the
trial last month. And, what is more, I learnt that he was acquainted
with John Mauprat. Who can this monk be? I asked myself; why does the
very sight of him frighten all the people in the country? What is he
doing in Varenne? If he belongs to the Carmelite convent, why does he
not wear their habit?