from the
court.

SERGEANT HEALY
Your Worship's orders will be obeyed.

MR. O'CROWLEY
Now, it was with the greatest of interest that I have
listened to the speeches pro and con for the prisoner
and never before or since have I heard such logic
and eloquence as was used in this court of justice
to-day. I am nearly sure, in fact I'm certain, that
since the days when Marcus Anthony delivered his
matchless orations before the proud and haughty
Egyptians, did such wisdom flow from the lips of any
man. By the judicious application of words and logic
we have learnt what uses can be made of the law of
the land, and though our reason may convince us
and our conscience too, that right is right and wrong
is wrong, yet, the law's the law for all that, and we
are Justices of the Peace and must respect the law
and abide by it. Mr. Duffy has clearly proved to us
how drink, especially bad and illegal drink, like poteen,
can change a man from a law-abiding, self-respecting,
and obedient husband into a demon and a housebreaker.
And Mr. Cassidy has also clearly proven
on the other hand how that same drink can change a
man from the ordinary humdrum things of life and
turn his mind to noble ideals, and make of him an
artist and an inspired one at that. Now science has
proved to us that in every one man there are two
men,--the artist, if I might be permitted to use the
term, and the house-breaker. But as the two men are
only one man, and the artist is the better of the two,
then to the artist let us pay our respects, and dismiss
the charge of house-breaking.

MRS. FENNELL (_sadly_)
Ah, God help us! The town will be full of artists
when the militia comes home.

MR. O'CROWLEY
The charge of house-breaking then will be dismissed,
but I must impose a heavy fine and sentence for using
the illegal intoxicant, poteen.

MR. CASSIDY
Will your Worship be good enough before passing
sentence to make sure that the liquor is poteen?

MR. O'CROWLEY
We have it on the testimony of the sergeant that it is
poteen.

MR. CASSIDY
But with all due respect to the court, we cannot convict
any one on such evidence. What does the sergeant
know about poteen?

SERGEANT HEALY (_indignantly_)
What do I know about poteen, is it? How dare you,
sir? Was there a better maker of poteen in the
County Cork than my own father, rest his soul!

MR. O'CROWLEY
Now, isn't that evidence enough for you? Does the
sergeant look like a man who doesn't know the di