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the loudest burst of laughter ever even heard within those walls. The clerk, the policeman, the turnkeys, the crier, and the fellow who administered the solemn oaths, roared; while the prisoner—who was a student of human nature—shook his sides on speculation, conceiving, of course, that the magistrate's gratitude would prompt him to repudiate the evidence.

"Well, I suppose it is spelt with an eb," said the clerk, when he and the other impartial judges of a joke had become exhausted. "You are a student of bed'cide, you say?"

"Is this the court of Bobus?" inquired Tom, looking round with an expression of imperturbable gravity, which threw the whole court again into convulsions. "Cobus presides here if Bobus does dot! Ab I," he added, addressing the magistrate, as soon as his voice could be heard, "ab I id a place sacred to justice?—a place id which solebdity is supposed to reigd, add of which digdity is supposed to be wud of the chief characteristics?—a place id which obediedce to the law is taught, add respect for those who adbidister the law idspired? I ab—I presube that I ab—add yet I who have taked a soleb oath to ibpart with truth that which I kdow, ab bet with dothidg but buffoodery, ragged jokes, add ailly laughter. That bad's life," he added, pointing to the prisoner, "his very life bay, for ought I kdow, be id peril, add yet you teach hib, add all who are here, to view the adbidistratiod of justice as a jest."

The officials again felt it to be their duty to laugh, but the magistrate clearly didn't like it at all, and more especially as Tom's rebuke was hailed in the body of the court with applause. He, therefore, assuming an aspect of gravity, said, "Let us proceed with the business of the court."

"I thidk it high tibe that we should," said Tom, and another laugh burst from the officials.

"Silence!" shouted the magistrate, sternly; and "Silence!" was indignantly reiterated by the crier, who had been making more noise than any other man in court.

"Now, sir," said the magistrate, determined to be severe upon Tom, who, however, was not at all afraid of him, "what do you know about this?"

"About what?"

"About what! Why this robbery."

"Dothidg."

"Nothing! You are a witness in this case, are you not?"

"I ab placed id the positiod of a witdess."

"Then what do you mean by saying that you know nothing of it?"

"I bead, by sayidg that I kdow dothidg of it, that I kdow dothidg of it."

"Then what did you come here for?"

"That's the very poidt which I ab adxious to ascertaid!"

"What's the meaning of all this? Do you know sir, that I have the power to commit you?"

"Cobbit be!" cried Tom.

"Ay, sir; commit you."

"You bay have the power, but you dare dot, I apprehedd, exercise that power without sufficient cause."