CHAPTER XXVII. THE TRIAL.

deallthechivalrypartofdefendingthehelpless,andallthatsortofthing.Iwouldn'taskforabetterthingtoworkupintoaspeech.ButClaytonwilldoitbetteryet,becauseheisactuallysincereinit.And,afterall'ssaidanddone,there'sagooddealinthat.Whenafellowspeaksinsolemnearnest,hegivesakindofweightthatyoucan'teasilygetatanyotherway." "Well,but,"saidone,"Idon'tunderstandyou,Russel,whyyouthinkthelawisn'tonClayton'sside.I'msureit'saveryclearcaseofterribleabuse." "Oh,certainlyitis,"saidRussel,"andthemanisadolt,andabrutebeast,andoughttobeshot,andsoforthbut,then,hehasn'treallyexceededhislegallimits,because,yousee,thelawgivestothehireralltherightsofthemaster.There'snogettingawayfromthat,inmyopinion.Now,anymastermighthavedoneallthat,andnobodycouldhavedoneanythingaboutit.Theydodoit,forthatmatter,ifthey'rebadenough,andnobodythinksoftouchingthem." "Well,Isay,"saidJones,"Russel,don'tyouthinkthat'stoobad?" "Laws,yes,manbuttheworldisfullofthingsthataretoobad.It'sabadkindofaplace,"saidRussel,ashelitanothercigar. "Well,howdoyouthinkClaytonisgoingtosucceed,"saidJones,"ifthelawissoclearlyagainsthim?" "Oh,blessyou,youdon'tknowClayton.Heisagloriousmystifier.Inthefirstplace,hemystifieshimself.And,now,youmarkme.Whenapowerfulfellowmystifieshimself,sothathereallygetshimselfthoroughlyontohisownside,there'snobodyhecan'tmystify.Ispeakitinsobersadness,Jones,thatthewantofthisfacultyisagreathindrancetomeinacertainclassofcases.YouseeIcanputonthepatheticandheroic,afterasortbutIdon'ttakemyselfalongwithme—Idon'treallybelievemyself.There'sthetrouble.It'sthispowerofself-mystificationthatmakeswhatyoucallearnestmen.Ifmensawtherealbreadandbutterandgreencheeseoflife,asIseeit,—thehard,dry,primitivefacts,—theycouldn'traisesuchcommotionsastheydo." "Russel,italwaysmakesmeuncomfortabletohearyoutalk.Itseemsasifyoudidn'tbelieveinanything!" "Oh,yes,Ido,"saidRussel"Ibelieveinthemultiplicationtable,andseveralotherthingsofthatnatureatthebeginningofthearithmeticand,also,thatthewickedwilldowickedly.But,astoClayton'ssplendidabstractions,Ionlywishhimjoyofthem.But,then,IshallbelievehimwhileIhearhimtalksowillyousowillalltherestofus.That'sthefunofit.Butthethingwillbejustwhereitwasbefore,andIshallfinditsowhenIwakeupto-morrowmorning.It'sapitysuchfellowsasClaytoncouldn'tbeusedasweusebigguns.Heisdeathonanythinghefiresatandifheonlywouldletmeloadandpointhim,heandItogetherwouldmakeafirmthatwouldsweeptheland.Butherehecomes,uponmyword." "Hallo,Clayton,allready?" "Yes,"saidClayton,"Ibelieveso.Whenwillthecasebecalled?" "To-day,I'mprettysure,"saidRussel. Claytonwa