"I do begin to believe thee," said Hendon, with a perplexing mixture of

mockery and half-conviction in his tone; "but tarry thou here a moment

whilst I run and ask his worship--for nathless, he being a man

experienced in law, in jests, in--"

He was moving away, still talking; the constable hesitated, fidgeted,

spat out an oath or two, then cried out--

Hold, hold, good sir--prithee wait a little--the judge! Why, man, he

hath no more sympathy with a jest than hath a dead corpse!--come, and we

will speak further. Ods body! I seem to be in evil case--and all for an

innocent and thoughtless pleasantry. I am a man of family; and my wife

and little ones--List to reason, good your worship: what wouldst thou

of me?"

Only that thou be blind and dumb and paralytic whilst one may count a

hundred thousand--counting slowly," said Hendon, with the expression of a

man who asks but a reasonable favour, and that a very little one.

"It is my destruction!" said the constable despairingly. "Ah, be

reasonable, good sir; only look at this matter, on all its sides, and see

how mere a jest it is--how manifestly and how plainly it is so. And even

if one granted it were not a jest, it is a fault so small that e'en the

grimmest penalty it could call forth would be but a rebuke and warning

232

The Prince and The Pauper