ot loaded, and this was accidentally
discharged----

"Lies! Wretched, base lies!" shrieked Panna, shaking her clenched fist
furiously at Abonyi, who turned pale and paused in his story. A
passing tumult arose; the listeners crowded around Panna, who had
started up, and tried to force her back into her seat and to quiet her.
The presiding judge frowned and was about to speak, when the
prosecuting attorney told him in a hasty whisper who the disturber was.
But Panna continued to cry out: "Don't believe him, gentlemen, he is
lying! He shot him intentionally and without cause."

She would have said more, but the judge interrupted her, exclaiming
violently: "Silence, unhappy woman, you are making yourself guilty of a
serious offence and deserve that we should inflict exemplary
punishment. But we will have compassion on your condition and content
ourselves with turning you out of the room."

At the same time he beckoned to the constable, who, with the individual
standing behind the defendant, and a watchman posted in the
audience-room, seized the screaming woman and, in spite of her
struggles, forced her out of the door.

This interruption had lasted several minutes and evidently affected all
present very unpleasantly. Now, calmness gradually returned and the
trial could pursue its course. After the defendant, the turn of the
witnesses came. Their depositions were to elucidate two points
especially: whether Molnar had really behaved in such a manner that
deeds of violence might be expected from him, and it was necessary to
threaten him with a weapon and put him in fetters--also, whether the
revolver had been discharged accidentally or intentionally.

The first witness, Janos, gave his testimony cautiously and sinuously;
he did not know how the dispute had begun; he was not present while
Pista uttered the threats of which Herr von Abonyi spoke, as he had
gone first to fetch the revolver and then the beadle; Pista had
certainly seemed angry and excited, and would not permit handcuffs to
be put upon him; he, Janos, had his back turned to his master when the
shot was fired.

The beadle, too, could only say that Pista would not suffer himself to
be fettered, and that he had not noticed the discharge of the revolver.

Now the gardener was summoned. Abonyi looked sharply at him; the
witness bore the gaze quietly and began to speak. He stated that Pista
had always been a harmless, peaceful man, while the nobleman, on