The mist had cleared away now, and I stood listening to him as he went on speaking, in a very quiet subdued way, about the troubles he had had with the two defendants—boys whom he had taken into his service out of kindness.
“Yes, yes, yes, Mr Dempster,” said the old gentleman testily; “but this isn’t a sale of house property. There’s a very long charge-sheet. You have given these two lads into custody on a charge of assault. Now, shortly, please, how did it happen?”
“The fact is, your worship,” said Mr Dempster, “I have had much trouble with both of them. The boy Dean is idle in the extreme, while Gordon is a lad of vile and passionate temper.”
“Well, sir—well, sir?”
“I had occasion to speak to them yesterday about idling in my absence, the consequence being that a great many mistakes were made.”
“Allus careful as I could be,” said Esau, in an ill-used tone.
“Silence, sir! How dare you?” cried the old gentleman. “You shall be heard presently. Now, Mr Dempster, please go on.”
“I was angry, Sir Thomas, and I scolded them both severely, when to my utter surprise—stop, I will be perfectly accurate—things had come to such a pass that I had threatened them with dismissal—when in a fit of passion Dean struck my new hat from a chair on which it was laid, jumped upon it, and crushed it.”
“Oh, what a whopper!” cried Esau, excitedly. “Will you be silent, sir?” cried the old gentleman, tapping the desk in front of him with his knuckles.
“Here is the hat, Sir Thomas,” said Mr Dempster, and stooping down he held up his crushed and beaten head-covering in corroboration of his words, when a perfect roar of laughter ran round the court, and I saw the old gentleman lift his glasses and smile.