the floor, was a long oval table covered with
green cloth, on which were placed seven
blotting-cases; behind each case was a chair—the
seventh, forming the centre, an easy-chair, and
slightly raised above the rest. Three yards
to the left of this table was another small table,
with a chair behind it; this was the place of
the public prosecutor; at the same distance to
the right of the large table was the bench for
the accommodation of the advocates defending
prisoners; immediately in front of the president's
chair, about four yards from it, was the
place where the accused stood.

When soldiers had been placed in different
parts of the room, the usher called silence, and
as the clock struck ten the drums sounded " le
champ," the soldiers presented arms, and the court
appeared: the highest in rank being a colonel,
and the lowest a non-commissioned officer.
When the court was seated, the advocates took
their places, and finally the much-dreaded man,
the procureur-impérial, walked in. He was a
little thin man, with lips screwed up as if he
were about to whistle, and his brow knit downward
as if he were trying to cover his eyes with
their folds.

The usher having declared the court open, our
names were called over, and I found that I was
first on the list. A file of soldiers led me to the
place of the accused, and I heard my accusation
read.

I was accused of not having answered the call
of the conscription when I was of age, and of
having gone into a foreign country to avoid
serving. It was alleged against me that I had
been served with a notice at my last known
domicile, and that I had paid no heed to it; that
when the gendarmerie sought for me, I evaded
their researches; that, consequently, I was guilty
of insubordination, and according to law liable to
so much punishment.

I was then sworn to say nothing but the truth;
I was questioned and cross-questioned by the
president and the prosecutor. I explained. The judges
seemed satisfied, but the procureur-impérial suddenly
dropped his brief, looked at me superciliously,
coughed apologetically, and delivered
a most extraordinary speech, which I now
condense, and give as nearly as I can remember it:
"Mr. President and gentlemen of the court,
it is often difficult to understand what motives
lead a man to commit a certain deed; and in
rising now to address you, I must confess
that I feel myself unequal to the task of
explaining to you what motives can have induced
Jules Meudon to leave England (where he was
out of the reach of our laws) to come over here
to deliver himself up to the gendarmerie, incur
the risk of being condemned to several years'
imprisonment—ay! to de-por-ta-tion even!—
and subsequently to seven years' military
servitude! His father (who was exiled from this
country for a political offence against the
previous dynasty) took him away when but five
years of age. The son of an exile! And where
was he taken to? What was the country of his
father's adoption? Was it Belgium? a country
whose whole sympathies are with France?
Was it Italy, whose hope has always been
centred in France? Was it Prussia, or Austria:
countries that have been taught to fear, if not to
respect France? To no one of these, gentlemen;
but to England! England, gentlemen!
According to his own admission, he has been
brought up as an English boy, at English
schools. Need I ask what were the sentiments
instilled in the mind of the young Jules Meudon?
Were they such as to make him desire
to serve France? And may we not infer that
his mind has been poisoned by all those
vituperations which England rejoices in vociferating
against France? Is it unreasonable to
suppose that as he grew older, his parents
impressed upon him the sufferings they had
undergone in exile? And are we to admit this
man into the ranks of our army? Is he still
a Frenchman? Is this man, with a good
education, possessed of certain pecuniary means,
capable of observing, noting, appreciating,
understanding our resources, our administration
and capabilities, having friends and—
perhaps—employers in England, is this man to
be admitted into our arsenals, garrisons, and
fortresses, without our asking what are his
motives? What were his motives for leaving
the land of his adoption, where he at one time
held a lucrative appointment, and where by his
talents he could live in ease and superfluity? I
will confine myself, Mr. President, to merely
suggesting the foregoing questions, certain that
they will give rise to serious misgivings in the
mind of the court."

When he had finished this speech, he looked
at me, and seemed to ask me " how I liked it?"
Then he coughed, looked at his watch, and might
have been talking about pumpkins, instead of
recommending the court to transport a man for
ten years.

I felt slightly bewildered, perplexed, and doubtful
whether I ought to attempt to repudiate the
insinuations made to my prejudice. But happening
to look towards the advocates' bench, thinking
that I should have done better to employ
an advocate, I saw one of those gentlemen raise
his brows to the prosecutor inquiringly, and I
saw the prosecutor answer with a wink! All
the blood that English roast beef had made
in me rose boiling to my temples, and I said,
"That I had learnt in England that a man
on trial was judged for the offences of which
he was accused, and not for crimes he might
commit in the future; and that were I now
condemned on insinuations volunteered by a
person who ought to confine himself to the
province of his office, I should, indeed, regret having
left England." After this, I had it all my own
way, proved my innocence, and was acquitted
unanimously. In a few days after I received my
route, draughting me into the 8th Lancers, and
started for my destination.