And, anyhow, unpleadable in court!

"How reconcile," gasps Malice, "that with this?"

Your "this," friend, is extraneous to the law,

Comes of men's outside meddling, the unskilled

Interposition of such fools as press

Out of their province. Must I speak my mind?

Far better had Pompilia died o' the spot

Than found a tongue to wag and shame the law,

Shame most of all herself,—could friendship fail,

And advocacy lie less on the alert: