And beshides, I 've found a big hole, like a worm that has crawled into the knot of a lotush-root, and is looking for a hole to creep out at. Now who was I going to accuse of thish wicked deed? [_He recalls something._] Oh, yesh! I remember. I was going to accuse poor Charudatta of thish wicked deed. Beshides, he's poor. They 'll believe anything about him. Good! I 'll go to the court-room and lodge a public complaint against Charudatta, how he shtrangled Vasantasena and murdered her. Sho now I 'm on my way to the court-room. [_He walks about and looks around him._] Here is the court-room. I 'll go in. [_He enters and looks about._] Well, here are the sheats, all arranged. While I 'm waiting for the magishtrates, I 'll jusht sit down a minute on the gra.s.s. [_He does so._]

P. 226.10]

_Beadle._ [_Walks about in another direction, and looks before him._]

Here come the magistrates. I will go to them. [_He does so._]

[_Enter the judge, accompanied by a gild-warden, a clerk, and others._]

_Judge._ Gild-warden and clerk!

_Gild-warden and Clerk._ We await your bidding.

_Judge._ A trial depends to such an extent upon others that the task of the magistrates--the reading of another's thoughts--is most difficult.

Men often speak of deeds that no man saw, Matters beyond the province of the law; Pa.s.sion so rules the parties that their lies, Hide their offenses from judicial eyes; This side and that exaggerate a thing, Until at last it implicates the king; To sum it up: false blame is easy won, A true judge little praised, or praised by none. 3

And again:

Men often point to sins that no man saw, And in their anger scorn the patient law; In court-rooms even the righteous with their lies Hide their offenses from judicial eyes; And those who did the deed are lost to view, Who sinned with plaintiff and defendant too; To sum it up: false blame is easy won, A true judge little praised, or praised by none. 4

For the judge must be

Learned, and skilled in tracing fraud's sly path, And eloquent, insensible to wrath; To friend, foe, kinsman showing equal grace, Reserving judgment till he know the case; Untouched by avarice, in virtue sound.

The weak he must defend, the knave confound; An open door to truth, his heart must cling To others' interests, yet shun each thing That might awake the anger of the king. 5

[137.94. S.

_Gild-warden and Clerk._ And do men speak of defects in your virtue? If so, then they speak of darkness in the moonlight.

_Judge._ My good beadle, conduct me to the court-room.

_Beadle._ Follow me, Your Honor. [_They walk about._] Here is the court-room. May the magistrates be pleased to enter. [_All enter._]

_Judge._ My good beadle, do you go outside and learn who desires to present a case.

_Beadle._ Yes, sir. [_He goes out._] Gentlemen, the magistrates ask if there is any here who desires to present a case.

_Sansthanaka._ [_Gleefully._] The magishtrates are here. [_He struts about._] I desire to present a cashe, I, an arishtocrat, a man, a Vasudeva, the royal brother-in-law, the brother-in-law of the king.

_Beadle._ [_In alarm._] Goodness! The king's brother-in-law is the first who desires to present a case. Well! Wait a moment, sir. I will inform the magistrates at once. [_He approaches the magistrates._] Gentlemen, here is the king's brother-in-law who has come to court, desiring to present a case.

_Judge._ What! the king's brother-in-law is the first who desires to present a case? Like an eclipse at sunrise, this betokens the ruin of some great man. Beadle, the court will doubtless be very busy to-day. Go forth, my good man, and say "Leave us for to-day.

Your suit cannot be considered."

_Beadle._ Yes, Your Honor. [_He goes out, and approaches Sansthanaka._]

Sir, the magistrates send word that you are to leave them for to-day; that your suit cannot be considered.

P. 229.13]

_Sansthanaka._ [_Wrathfully._] Confound it! Why can't my shuit be conshidered? If it is n't conshidered, then I 'll tell my brother-in-law, King Palaka, my shishter's husband, and I 'll tell my shishter and my mother too, and I 'll have thish judge removed, and another judge appointed. [_He starts to go away._]

_Beadle._ Oh, sir! Brother-in-law of the king! Wait a moment. I will inform the magistrates at once. [_He returns to the Judge._] The brother-in-law of the king is angry, and says--[_He repeats Sansthanaka's words._]

_Judge._ This fool might do anything. My good man, tell him to come hither, that his suit will be considered.

_Beadle._ [_Approaching Sansthanaka._] Sir, the magistrates send word that you are to come in, that your suit will be considered.

Pray enter, sir.

_Sansthanaka._ Firsht they shay it won't be conshidered, then they shay it will be conshidered. The magishtrates are shcared. Whatever I shay, I 'll make 'em believe it. Good! I 'll enter. [_He enters and approaches the magistrates._] I am feeling very well, thank you.

Whether you feel well or not--that depends on me.

_Judge._ [_Aside._] Well, well! We seem to have a highly cultivated plaintiff. [_Aloud._] Pray be seated.

_Sansthanaka._ Well! Thish floor belongs to me. I 'll sit down wherever I like. [_To the gild-warden._] I'll sit here. [_To the beadle._]

Why should n't I sit here? [_He lays his hand on the Judge's head._]

I 'll sit here. [_He sits down on the floor._]

_Judge._ You desire to present a case?

_Sansthanaka._ Of courshe.

_Judge._ Then state the case.

_Sansthanaka._ I 'll whishper it. I was born in the great family of a man as glorioush as a wine-gla.s.s.

My father's father of the king--in law; The king, he is my daddy's son-in-law; And I am brother to the king--in law; And the husband of my shishter is the king. 6

[140.1. S.

_Judge._ All this we know.

Why should you boast of this your n.o.ble birth?

'T is character that makes the man of worth; But thorns and weeds grow rank in fertile earth. 7

State your case.

_Sansthanaka._ I will, but even if I was guilty, he wouldn't do anything to me. Well, my shishter's husband liked me, and gave me the besht garden there is, the old garden Pushpakaranda, to play in and look after. And there I go every day to look at it, to keep it dry, to keep it clean, to keep it blosshoming, to keep it trimmed. But fate decreed that I shaw--or rather, I didn't _shee_--the proshtrate body of a woman.

_Judge._ Do you know who the unfortunate woman was?

_Sansthanaka._ h.e.l.lo, magishtrates! Why shouldn't I know? A woman like that! the pearl of the city! adorned with a hundred golden ornaments! Shomebody's unworthy shon enticed her into the old garden Pushpakaranda when it was empty, and for a mere trifle--for her money!--shtrangled Vasantasena and killed her. But _I_ didn't--[_He breaks off, and puts his hand over his mouth._]

_Judge._ What carelessness on the part of the city police! Gild-warden and clerk, write down the words "I didn't," as the first article in the case.

_Clerk._ Yes, sir. [_He does so._] Sir, it is written.

_Sansthanaka._ [_Aside._] Goodnessh! Now I've ruined myshelf, like a man that shwallows a cake of rice and milk in a hurry. Well, I'll get out of it thish way. [_Aloud._] Well, well, magishtrates! I was jusht remarking that I didn't shee it happen. What are you making thish hullabaloo about? [_He wipes out the written words with his foot._]

P. 233.3]