Part 57 (2/2)
”But lest you should build unduly upon that,” cut in Sir John fiercely, ”let me warn you that as the offences for which you are to suffer were chiefly committed within Lord Henry Goade's own jurisdiction, your trial will take place in Cornwall, where Lord Henry has the honour to be Her Majesty's Lieutenant and dispenser of justice”
”Her Majesty is to be congratulated,” said Sir Oliver elaborately
”It is for you to choose, sir,” Sir John ran on, ”whether you will be hanged on sea or land”
”My only possible objection would be to being hanged in the air But you're not likely to heed that,” was the flippant answer
Lord Henry leaned forward again ”Letyou, sir, in your own interests to be serious,” he admonished the prisoner
”I confess the occasion, ment upon e of the lad to deserve your approval,” Sir John replied tartly ”Piracy,”
he added, ”is but the least of the counts against you”
Sir Oliver's broent up, and he stared at the row of solemn faces
”As God's my life, then, your other counts must needs be sound--or else, if there be any justice in your methods, you are like to be disappointed of your hopes of seeingProceed, sirs, to the other counts I vow you beco than I could have hoped”
”Can you deny the piracy?” quoth Lord Henry
”Deny it? No But I deny your jurisdiction in the lish court, since I have colish waters”
Lord Henry ad utterly unexpected Yet what the prisoner urged was a truth so obvious that it was difficult to apprehend how his lordshi+p had come to overlook it I rather fear that despite his judicial office, jurisprudence was not a strong point with his lordshi+p But Sir John, less perspicuous or less scrupulous in the matter, had his retort ready
”Did you not come to Arwenack and forcibly carry off thence”
”Nay, now, nay, now,” the corsair interrupted, good-humouredly ”Go back to school, Sir John, to learn that abduction is not piracy”
”Call it abduction, if you will,” Sir John admitted
”Not if I will, Sir John We'll call it what it is, if you please”
”You are trifling, sir But we shall ed the table with his fist, his face flushi+ng slightly in anger
(Lord Henry very properly deplores this show of heat at such a tinorant,” Sir John continued, ”that abduction is punishable by death under the law of England” He turned to his fellow-judges ”We will then, sirs, with your concurrence, say no entle tones, ”in justice we cannot”
And he shrugged the ht in what he clai that he colish waters, nor--so far as our knowledge goes--against any vessel sailing under the English flag”
Rosamund stirred Slowly she took her elbows froe of it Thus leaning forward she listened noith an odd brightness in her eye, a slight flush in her cheeks reflecting some odd excitement called into life by Lord Henry's ades against the prisoner
Sir Oliver, watching her almost furtively, noted this and eneral coht be her attitude offriends and protectors
But Sir John, intent only upon the business ahead, plunged angrily on
”Be it so,” he admitted impatiently ”We will deal with hi to say?”