"I may have said something of the kind," said the witness, with assumed indifference.
"Did you, or did you not?" cried Carlton, slapping his hand on the rail of the dock; the voice, the look, the gesture were familiar to many present who had heard him preach; and thrilled them for all their new knowledge of the preacher.
"Really I can't recall my exact words. I rather fancied they were stronger."
Some one laughed at this, and the witness managed to recapture his grin; but his demeanour was unconvincing.
"I am not talking about their strength," said Carlton. "Will you swear that you did not say, 'I'll have you out of this! I'll hound you out of it'?"
"No, I will not."
"I thank you," said Carlton; and his ringing voice fell at a word to the pitch of perfect courtesy. He ticked off the note in his pocket-book, and the court breathed again; but its worthy president did more: he had forgotten his position for several minutes, and he hastened to reassert it with the first observation that entered his head.
"I don't see the point of this examination," said Canon Wilders.
"You will presently."
"If I don't I shall put a stop to it!"