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"At ten in the morning, or some minutes later, the first day of the New
Year, most illustrious--"
"Let the prisoner go free--it is the King's will!"
Another blush followed this unregal outburst, and he covered his
indecorum as well as he could by adding--
"It enrageth me that a man should be hanged upon such idle, hare-brained
evidence!"
A low buzz of admiration swept through the assemblage. It was not
admiration of the decree that had been delivered by Tom, for the
propriety or expediency of pardoning a convicted poisoner was a thing
which few there would have felt justified in either admitting or
admiring--no, the admiration was for the intelligence and spirit which
Tom had displayed. Some of the low-voiced remarks were to this effect--
"
"
This is no mad king--he hath his wits sound."
How sanely he put his questions--how like his former natural self was
this abrupt imperious disposal of the matter!"
"
God be thanked, his infirmity is spent! This is no weakling, but a
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