Jury_. My lord, we are agreed upon our verdict.

_J. N_. Do you find the prisoner at the bar "Guilty" or "Not Guilty"?

_F. of J_. Guilty, my lord.

_J. F_. Just _so_.

_J. N_. Prisoner at the bar, you have been fairly tried and found guilty
by a jury of your fellow-countrymen of two most serious offences--crimes,
I should say. If I had not to pronounce sentence upon one whose
conscience is seared and case-hardened to an unexampled degree, I might
have some words to say to you. (_Aside_: And also if I didn't want to
get out of this as quick as I can; for I'm sure there is some row going
on.) As it is, I will add no words to my sentence. (_Aside_: I wish I
were _off_, but let's give it him hot and heavy!) I sentence you to six
years' penal servitude and to pay a fine of 100 pounds.

_J. F_. Well, its pretty much what I expected of _you_. As to the 100
pounds, don't you wish you may get it; and as to the six years--

[_Great noise_; "_Marseillaise_" _sung quite close_; _hammering on the
doors_.

_J. F_. Hark! what's that?

_J. N_. (_in a quavering voice_). Remove the prisoner!

[_Enter a_ SOCIALIST ensign _with a red flag in his hand_.

_S. E_. Remove the prisoner! Yes, that's just what I've come to do, my
lord. The Tables are Turned now!

_J. N_. (_rising and prepared to go_). Arrest that man!

_S. E_. Yes, do--if you can.

_J. F_. What does it all mean, Bill?

_S. E_. The very beginning of it, Jack. It seems we have not been
sanguine enough. The Revolution we were all looking forward to had been
going on all along, and now the last act has begun. The reactionists are
fighting, and pretty badly too, for the soldiers are beginning to
remember that they too belong to the "lower classes"--the lower
classes--hurrah! You must come along at once, Freeman; we shall want you
in our quarter. Don't waste another minute with these fools.

_J. N_. (_screaming_). Help, help! Murder, murder!

_S. E_. Murder!--murder a louse! Who's hurting you, old gentleman?
Don't make such a noise. We'll try and make some use of you when we have
time, but we must bustle now. Come on, Jack. Stop a bit, though;
where's the Clerk of the Court? Oh, there! Clerk, we shall want this
Court-house almost directly to use for a free market for this district.
There have been too many people starving and half-starving this long
time; and the first thing that we've got to see to is that every one has
enough to