sacred
family table, as though she expected to see it shed blood after her
husband's terrible blow.

The fork was still sticking in the table, when a carriage drew up to
the door, and the District Judge and his clerk entered. The farmer's
wife had the courage to draw the fork quickly out.

Landolin held out his hand in welcome, but the District Judge appeared
not to notice it. Landolin with a steady voice thanked the judge for
coming so soon to find out the facts of the unhappy affair.

"Pray be seated, your honor; and you, too, Mr. Clerk," he said,
ingratiatingly; then poured out three glasses of wine, and taking one
in his hand, touched the other two, as a sign to the gentlemen to
drink. But the District Judge said curtly: "No, thank you," and did not
take the glass. He leaned back in his chair while the clerk spread a
paper on the table.

"Sit down," he said to Landolin; but the latter replied: "I'm
comfortable standing," and laid his hand upon the back of the chair
which stood in front of him. He drummed on it with his fingers, and
controlling himself with a violent effort, said:

"Will you ask me questions, or shall I tell it in my own way?"

"You may go on."

"Your honor, that wine there is pure, for I brought it myself from the
vat at Kaiserstuhl; but I think the wine at the Sword is not pure. When
I drink during the day, and talk at the same time, it sets me beside
myself; but the fright at the accident has brought me to my senses."

"So you were drunk at the time of the----of the accident."

Landolin started. "This is not a man who has come to gossip with me. It
is a judge, and a judge over me. Stop! How can being drunk help?" These
thoughts passed rapidly through his mind, and he replied, almost
smiling:

"Thank heaven, I am never so drunk as not to know what I am doing. I
can stand a good deal."

He bestowed a confidential smile on the judge, but when he saw the
unchanging gravity of his countenance, he shrugged his shoulders
contemptuously, and went on determinedly:

"I can prove that the good-for-nothing fellow got no harm from me."

"Have you got that down?" said the judge to the clerk; and he replied:
"Yes, I am taking it in short-hand."

The chair under Landolin's hand moved, for he was dismayed to find that
his disconnected expressions were all written down. He now waited for
questions to be put to him, and after a little while the judge began:

"Have you not had a violent quarrel, on