Ha, your conscience!' howled Jeffreys. 'A ranter with a conscience!
Where has your conscience been these two months back, you villain and
rogue? Your conscience will stand you in little stead, sirrah, when
you are dancing on nothing with a rope round your neck. Was ever such
wickedness? Who ever heard such effrontery? And you, you great hulking
rebel, have you not grace enough to cast your eyes down, but must needs
look justice in the face as though you were an honest man? Are you not
afeared, sirrah? Do you not see death close upon you?'

'I have seen that before now, my Lord, and I was not afeared,' I
answered.

'Generation of vipers!' he cried, throwing up his hands. 'The best of
fathers! The kindest of kings! See that my words are placed upon the
record, clerk! The most indulgent of parents! But wayward children
must, with all kindness, be flogged into obedience. Here he broke into
a savage grin. 'The King will save your own natural parents all further
care on your account. If they had wished to keep ye, they should have
brought ye up in better principles. Rogues, we shall be merciful to
ye--oh, merciful, merciful! How many are here, recorder?'

'Fifty and one, my Lord.'

'Oh, sink of villainy! Fifty and one as arrant knaves as ever lay on
a hurdle! Oh, what a mass of corruption have we here! Who defends the
villains?'

'I defend the prisoners, your Lordship,' replied the young lawyer.

'Master Helstrop, Master Helstrop!' cried Jeffreys, shaking his great
wig until the powder flew out of it; 'you are in all these dirty cases,
Master Helstrop. You might find yourself in a parlous condition, Master
Helstrop. I think sometimes that I see you yourself in the dock, Master
Helstrop. You may yourself soon need the help of a gentleman of the long
robe, Master Helstrop. Oh, have a care! Have a care!'

'The brief is from the Crown, your Lordship,' the lawyer answered, in a
quavering voice.

'Must I be answered back, then!' roared Jeffreys, his black eyes blazing
with the rage of a demon. 'Am I to be insulted in my own court? Is every
five-groat piece of a pleader, because he chance to have a wig and a
gown, to browbeat the Lord Justice, and to fly in the face of the ruling
of the Court? Oh, Master Helstrop, I fear that I shall live to see some
evil come upon you!'

'I crave your Lordship's pardon!' cried the faint-hearted barrister,
with his face the colour of his brief.

'Keep a guard upon your words and upon you