s Drinkwater into the
background.)

KEARNEY (surprised and rather suspicious). Well, I hardly understahnd
this. However, if you are Captain Brassbound, you can take your place
with the rest. (Brassbound joins Redbrook and Johnson. Kearney sits down
again, after inviting Lady Cicely, with a solemn gesture, to take the
vacant chair.) Now let me see. You are a man of experience in these
matters, Sir Howard Hallam. If you had to conduct this business, how
would you start?

LADY CICELY. He'd call on the counsel for the prosecution, wouldn't you,
Howard?

SIR HOWARD. But there is no counsel for the prosecution, Cicely.

LADY CICELY. Oh yes there is. I'm counsel for the prosecution. You
mustn't let Sir Howard make a speech, Captain Kearney: his doctors have
positively forbidden anything of that sort. Will you begin with me?

KEARNEY. By your leave, Lady Waynfiete, I think I will just begin with
myself. Sailor fashion will do as well here as lawyer fashion.

LADY CICELY. Ever so much better, dear Captain Kearney. (Silence.
Kearney composes himself to speak. She breaks out again). You look so
nice as a judge!

A general smile. Drinkwater splutters into a half suppressed laugh.

REDBROOK (in a fierce whisper). Shut up, you fool, will you? (Again he
pushes him back with a furtive kick.)

SIR HOWARD (remonstrating). Cicely!

KEARNEY (grimly keeping his countenance). Your ladyship's cawmpliments
will be in order at a later stage. Captain Brassbound: the position
is this. My ship, the United States cruiser Santiago, was spoken off
Mogador latest Thursday by the yacht Redgauntlet. The owner of the
aforesaid yacht, who is not present through having sprained his ankle,
gave me sertn information. In cawnsequence of that information the
Santiago made the twenty knots to Mogador Harbor inside of fifty-seven
minutes. Before noon next day a messenger of mine gave the Cadi of the
district sertn information. In cawnsequence of that information the Cadi
stimulated himself to some ten knots an hour, and lodged you and your
men in Mogador jail at my disposal. The Cadi then went back to his
mountain fahstnesses; so we shall not have the pleasure of his company
here to-day. Do you follow me so far?

BRASSBOUND. Yes. I know what you did and what the Cadi did. The point
is, why did you do it?

KEARNEY. With doo patience we shall come to that presently. Mr. Rahnkin:
will you kindly take up the parable?

RANKIN. On the very day that Si