"The fight was fair," was the young man's reply. "Though I am a Friend,
the man was English."
"Thee was that day a son of Belial," rejoined the shrill Elder. "Thee did
use thy hands like any heathen sailor--is it not the truth?"
"I struck the man. I punished him--why enlarge?"
"Thee is guilty?"
"I did the thing."
"That is one charge against thee. There are others. Thee was seen to
drink of spirits in a public-house at Heddington that day. Twice--thrice,
like any drunken collier."
"Twice," was the prompt correction.
There was a moment's pause, in which some women sighed and others folded
and unfolded their hands on their laps; the men frowned.
"Thee has been a dark deceiver," said the shrill Elder again, and with a
ring of acrid triumph; "thee has hid these things from our eyes many
years, but in one day thee has uncovered all. Thee--"
"Thee is charged," interposed Elder Fairley, "with visiting a play this
same day, and with seeing a dance of Spain following upon it."
"I did not disdain the music," said the young man drily; "the flute, of
all instruments, has a mellow sound.
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