"Pardon me for putting myself forward," he said, with his
customary politeness. "Speaking as an abstainer from fermented
liquors, I must really protest against these allusions to
barmaids."

"Speaking as a consumer of fermented liquors," the invalid
remarked, "I wish I had a barmaid and a bottle of champagne
before me now."

Superior to interruption, the admirable foreman went on:

"Whatever you may think, gentlemen, of the prisoner's marriage,
we have it in evidence that his relatives turned their backs on
him from that moment--with the one merciful exception of the head
of the family. Lord Le Basque exerted his influence with the
Admiralty, and obtained for his brother (then out of employment)
an appointment to a ship. All the witnesses agree that Mr.
Westerfield thoroughly understood his profession. If he could
have controlled himself, he might have risen to high rank in the
Navy. His temper was his ruin. He quarreled with one of his
superior officers--"

"Under strong provocation," said a member of the jury.

"Under strong provocation," the foreman admitted. "But provocation
is not an excuse, judged by the rules of discipline. The prisoner
challenged the officer on duty to fight a duel, at the first
opportunity, on shore; and, receiving a contemptuous refusal,
struck him on the quarter-deck. As a matter of course, Mr.
Westerfield was tried by court-martial, and was dismissed the