Page:H.M. The Patrioteer.djvu/204

196 he represented the spirit of Light. Justice Sprezius administered the oath to Diederich, saying only two words at a time, with great condescension. Diederich swore dutifully; then he had to describe the sequence of events that evening in the Ratskeller. He began: "We were a lively party. There at the table sat also Messrs.&hellip;"

As he had already come to a full stop, there was laughter in court. Sprezius jumped up, snapped his vulture's beak and threatened to have the room cleared. "Is that all you remember?" he asked testily. Diederich begged him to take into consideration that, in consequence of business and other cares, the facts had meanwhile become a little obscured in his memory. "Then, to refresh your memory, I will read out your sworn statement before the examining magistrate"—and the judge had the affidavit handed up to him. From this document Diederich learned to his disagreeable surprise that he had made the definite charge, in the presence of the examining judge, Justice Fritzsche, of the County Court, that the accused was guilty of uttering a serious libel upon His Majesty the Emperor. What had he to say to this? "That may be," he stammered, "but there were a number of gentlemen there. Whether it was exactly the accused who said it. &hellip;" Sprezius leaned forward over his desk. "Think back. Remember you are on your oath. Other witnesses will testify that you went up quite alone to the accused and had with him the conversation in question." "Was it I?" asked Diederich, blushing crimson, and the whole court rocked with laughter. Even Jadassohn's face was distorted by a grin of contempt. Sprezius had opened his mouth to let himself go, but Wolfgang Buck stood up. His soft features, by a visible effort, assumed an energetic look, and he asked Diederich: "I suppose you were distinctly under the influence of liquor that evening?" Immediately the presiding judge and the Public Prosecutor fell upon him. "I appeal that the question be disallowed?" cried Jadassohn shrilly. "Counsel for the defence will