I cannot, I confess it humbly, hear your "hear, hear," without going up
and off, inflated like a balloon. "Shall the arbitration of the
magistracy, indemnifications in money awarded by the Law-courts, succeed
in satisfying,"--but I declare to you, Richie, it was no platform speech.
I know your term--"the chaincable sentence." Nothing of the kind,
I assure you. Plain sense, as from gentlemen to gentlemen. We require,
I said, a protection that the polite world of Great Britain does not now
afford us against the aggressions of the knave, the fool, and the brute.
We establish a Court. We do hereby--no, no, not the "hereby"; quite
simply, Richie--pledge ourselves--I said some other word not "pledge" to
use our utmost authority and influence to exclude from our circles
persons refusing to make the reparation of an apology for wanton common
insults: we renounce intercourse with men declining, when guilty of
provoking the sentiment of hostility, to submit to the jurisdiction of
our Court. All I want you to see is the notion. We raise the shield
against the cowardly bully which the laws have raised against the bloody
one. "And gentlemen,"' my father resumed his oration, forgetting my
sober eye for a minute--'"Gentlemen, we are the ultimate Court of Appeal
for men who cherish their honour, yet abstain from fastening it like a
millstone round the neck of their common-sense." Credit me, Richie,
the proposition kindled. We cited Lord Edbury to appear before us,
and I tell you we extracted an ample apology to you from that young
nobleman. And let me add, one that I, that we, must impose it upon an
old son to accept. He does! Come, come. And you shall see, Richie,
society shall never repose an inert mass under my leadership. I cure it;
I shake it and cure it.'

He promenaded the room, repeating: 'I do not say I am possessed of a
panacea,' and bending to my chin as he passed; 'I maintain that I can and
do fulfil the duties of my station, which is my element, attained in the