trouble, but would take the first opportunity of
voluntarily reconciling herself to her husband and giving him back
herself, her home, and her children, which would be equal to any "little
joke" he had ever heard in his life, etc., etc., etc.

The audience were all in a broad grin. Even Mrs. Walsh, with her lips of
"life-long sadness," smiled.

"You may smile at him," said Ishmael, "and so will I, since I do not at
all doubt the issue of this trial; but for all that, joker as he is, he
is the most serious opponent that we have. I would rather encounter half
a dozen each of Wisemans and Berners than one Vivian. Take human nature
in general, it can be more easily laughed than reasoned or persuaded in
or out of any measure. People would rather laugh than weep or reflect.
Wiseman tries to make them reflect, which they won't do; Berners tries
to make them weep, which they can't do; but Vivian with his jokes makes
them laugh, which they like to do. And so, he has joked himself into a
very large practice at the Washington bar."

But the facetious barrister was bringing his speech to a close, with a
brilliant little joke that eclipsed all the preceding ones and set the
audience in a roar. And when the laughter had subsided, he finally ended
by expressing a hope that the court would not so seriously disappoint
and so cruelly wrong the defendant as by giving a decision in her favor.

CHAPTER LVII.

THE YOUNG CHAMPION.

Then uprose Gismond; and she knew
That she was saved. _Some_ never met
His face before; but at first view
They felt quite sure that God had set
Himself to Satan; who could spend
A minute's mistrust on the end?

This pleased her most, that she enjoyed
The heart of her joy, with her content
In watching Gismond, unalloyed
By any doubt of the event;
God took that on him--she was bid
Watch Gismond for her part! She did.

--_Browning_.

Ishmael waited a few minutes for the excitement produced by the last
address to subside--the last address that in its qualities and effects
had resembled champagne--sparkling but transient, effervescent but
evanescent. And when order had been restored Ishmael arose amid a
profound silence to make his maiden speech, for the few opening remarks
he had made in initiating the defense could scarcely be called a speech.
Once more then all eyes were fixed upon him in expectancy. And, as
before, he was undisturbed by these regards becaus