“Never mind his name; that is, I told you once, you should remember,” stammered the hapless usher.
“I remember it. Jeffreys, wasn’t it, Mr Jeffreys?” said one boy triumphantly.
“He condemned more than—”
“Who, Jeffreys?”
What was the use of keeping it up?
“Yes; this wicked judge, Jeffreys, condemned more than three hundred people to death, just because they had helped Monmouth.”
There was a low whistle of horror, as every eye transfixed the speaker.
“Did he repent?” asked one.
“It doesn’t say so,” said the wretched Jeffreys, turning over to the next page in a miserable attempt to appear as if he was not involved in the inquiry.
“How dreadful!” said another.