“He wants to know, my lord,” says Mr. Nimble, laughing, “if he may call witnesses to character!”
“Oh dear, no,” says the Judge; “you were not being tried.”
Now many persons might have been of a different opinion from his lordship on this point. Snooks for one, I think; for he gave a great loud vulgar haw! haw! haw! and said, “I could ha’ gien him a charakter.”
“Si-lence!” said the Usher.
“May the prisoner have his watch, my lord?” asks Mr. Nimble.
“O, yes,” said his lordship, “to be sure. Give the prisoner his watch.”
“His watch,” groaned a voice.
CHAPTER XXX.
Mr. Alibi is stricken with a thunderbolt—interview with Horatio and Mr. Prigg.
The “round square,” as the facetious Don called the new style of putting the round judicial pegs into the square judicial holes, had indeed been applied with great effect on this occasion; for I perceived that Mr. Alibi, remarkable man, was not only engaged on the part of the Crown to prosecute, but also on that of the prisoner to defend. And this fact came to my knowledge in the manner following: