“I? No, sir, I do not.”
“Then the devil take the man I will ever punish again,” said Pat; “I’ve been working myself out of breath bating him and then he stands up there and tells that he didn’t know he got a bating.”
“You feel as if you could do the work, do you?”
“I will try, sir. It is awful hard and I feel I haven’t strength to last the day through, but I will go as long as I can.”
“Now, Pat, we will return to the office, and I want you to tell Mr. Pearson the trouble you had with this fellow, and while you are telling him, and telling how quietly he was working, you as well as I will watch Mr. Pearson’s face and see how much sympathy, if any, goes out to the prisoner.”
“Indade, your honor, I have noticed the sympathy shown to the prisoner by Mr. Pearson, while you were away. He even offered to exchange coat and hat with the man, and job too.”
“Pat, are you telling me the truth? A man holding the position which Mr. Pearson does, making such sacrifices as that with a prisoner, and one who is here sentenced for the crime which he is? Now, before we go in, I caution you to be watchful.”
“Well, Mr. Pearson, a time we have had with the 78 convict, a murderer, and the worst hypocrite I ever saw.”
“You found things as Pat represented them, did you?”
“No, I did not. The fellow was working very hard when we reached the place.”