barred their passage.

Who was this man? Tom-Jim-Jack.

Some of these lords were still in their robes, others had thrown them
off, and were in their usual attire. Tom-Jim-Jack wore a hat with
plumes--not white, like the peers; but green tipped with orange. He was
embroidered and laced from head to foot, had flowing bows of ribbon and
lace round his wrists and neck, and was feverishly fingering with his
left hand the hilt of the sword which hung from his waistbelt, and on
the billets and scabbard of which were embroidered an admiral's anchors.

It was he who was speaking and addressing the young lords; and
Gwynplaine overheard the following:--

"I have told you you are cowards. You wish me to withdraw my words. Be
it so. You are not cowards; you are idiots. You all combined against one
man. That was not cowardice. All right. Then it was stupidity. He spoke
to you, and you did not understand him. Here, the old are hard of
hearing, the young devoid of intelligence. I am one of your own order to
quite sufficient extent to tell you the truth. This new-comer is
strange, and he has uttered a heap of nonsense, I admit; but amidst all
that nonsense there were some things which were true. His speech was
confused, undigested, ill-delivered. Be it so. He repeated, 'You know,
you know,' too often; but a man who was but yesterday a clown at a fair
cannot be expected to speak like Aristotle or like Doctor Gilbert
Burnet, Bishop of Salisbury. The vermin, the lions, the address to the
under-clerks--all that was in bad taste. Zounds! who says it wasn't? It
was a senseless and fragmentary and topsy-turvy harangue; but here and
there came out facts which were true. It is no small thing to speak even
as he did, seeing it is not his trade. I should like to see you do it.
Yes, you! What he said about the lepers at Burton Lazars is an
undeniable fact. Besides, he is not the first man who has talked
nonsense. In fine, my lords, I do not like to see many set upon one.
Such is my humour; and I ask your lordships' permission to take offence.
You have displeased me; I am angry. I am grateful to God for having
drawn up from the depth of his low existence this peer of England, and
for having given back his inheritance to the heir; and, without heeding
whether it will or will not affect my own affairs, I consider it a
beautiful sight to see an insect transformed into an eagle, and
Gwynplaine into Lord Clancharlie. My lords, I forbid you holding any