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342 in furthering such a matter. But first, the prisoners. What is the charge and the evidence?"

De Proballe stepped forward here.

"Most noble and puissant lord Gerard of Bourbon," he began with an insolent air, when Gerard interrupted him.

"Stay," he said, with an imperious gesture. "I will not hear the Baron de Proballe. I know him to be incapable of telling the truth."

De Proballe fell back at this insult, and in a voice vibrating with passion exclaimed—

"Will your lordship endure this insolence longer?"

But the Governor was rarely troubled when any one other than himself was humiliated. He was now, in truth, rather inclined to rejoice at de Proballe's discomfiture, and replied with more than a dash of contempt—

"We must not forget, monsieur, that the lord Gerard comes from Paris with special knowledge we do not possess in Morvaix;" and the favourites round, taking their cue from this tone, sneered one to another with significant shrugs and glances.

"The evidence, my lord?" said Gerard with a show of impatience.

The Governor called up one of his officers then, who spoke of the affray in the market-place; and Gerard, under cover of a desire to get at the truth, questioned him at considerable length, and so consumed much invaluable time. Two other officers followed, and some of the soldiers who had been injured by the crowd.

Having prolonged the matter as long as practicable, Gerald said—

"There is one point on which none of the witnesses have spoken. The provocation which drove the people to revolt? I would hear that."

"There was none," answered the Governor, who was now wearying of the farce. "And, moreover, these proceedings have lasted long enough."