e to him by me. I know
that my own words will avail me nothing here--I also know why they
should not--but I am surely entitled to require that he should speak
out, as to the truth, when _his_ misrepresentations are to make weight
against me in future. His oath, that I made no such confession to him,
will avail nothing for my defence, but will avail greatly with those
who, from present appearances, are likely to condemn me. I call upon
him, may it please your honor, as matter of right, that he should be
_sworn_ to this particular. This, your honor will perceive, if my
assertion be true, is the smallest justice which he can do me; beyond
this I will ask and suggest nothing--leaving it to your own mind how far
the license of his profession should be permitted to one who thus not
only abandons, but betrays and misrepresents his client."

The youth was silent, and Pippin rose to speak in his defence. Without
being sworn, he admitted freely that such a confession had not been
made, but that he had inferred the killing from the nature of the
testimony, which he thought conclusive on the point; that his object had
been to suggest a probable difficulty between the parties, in which he
would have shown Forrester as the aggressor. He bungled on for some time
longer in this manner, but, as he digressed again into the defence of
the accused, Ralph again begged to interrupt him.

"I think it important, may it please your honor, that the gentleman
should be sworn as to the simple fact which he has uttered. _I want it
on record_, that, at some future day, the few who have any interest in
my fate should feel no mortifying doubts of my innocence when reminded
of the occurrence--which this strange admission, improperly circulated,
might otherwise occasion. Let him swear, your honor, to the fact: this,
I think, I may require."

After a few moments of deliberation, his honor decided that the demand
was one of right, strictly due, not merely to the prisoner and to the
abstract merits of the case, but also to the necessity which such an
event clearly occasioned, of establishing certain governing principles
for restraining those holding situations so responsible, who should so
far wilfully betray their trusts. The lawyer was made to go through the
humiliating process, and then subjected to a sharp reprimand from the
judge; who, indeed, might have well gone further, in actually striking
his name from the rolls of court.

It was just after t