“Stand back then,” said Henchard, “and let’s hear what you’ve got to say.”

Stubberd was sworn in, the magistrate’s clerk dipped his pen, Henchard being no note-taker himself, and the constable began—­

“Hearing a’ illegal noise I went down the street at twenty-five minutes past eleven P.M. on the night of the fifth instinct, Hannah Dominy.  When I had—­

“Don’t go so fast, Stubberd,” said the clerk.

The constable waited, with his eyes on the clerk’s pen, till the latter stopped scratching and said, “yes.”  Stubberd continued:  “When I had proceeded to the spot I saw defendant at another spot, namely, the gutter.”  He paused, watching the point of the clerk’s pen again.

“Gutter, yes, Stubberd.”

“Spot measuring twelve feet nine inches or thereabouts from where I—­” Still careful not to outrun the clerk’s penmanship Stubberd pulled up again; for having got his evidence by heart it was immaterial to him whereabouts he broke off.

“I object to that,” spoke up the old woman, “’spot measuring twelve feet nine or thereabouts from where I,’ is not sound testimony!”

The magistrates consulted, and the second one said that the bench was of opinion that twelve feet nine inches from a man on his oath was admissible.

Stubberd, with a suppressed gaze of victorious rectitude at the old woman, continued:  “Was standing myself.  She was wambling about quite dangerous to the thoroughfare and when I approached to draw near she committed the nuisance, and insulted me.”

“’Insulted me.’...Yes, what did she say?”

“She said, ‘Put away that dee lantern,’ she says.”

“Yes.”

“Says she, ’Dost hear, old turmit-head?  Put away that dee lantern.  I have floored fellows a dee sight finer-looking than a dee fool like thee, you son of a bee, dee me if I haint,’ she says.

“I object to that conversation!” interposed the old woman.  “I was not capable enough to hear what I said, and what is said out of my hearing is not evidence.”

There was another stoppage for consultation, a book was referred to, and finally Stubberd was allowed to go on again.  The truth was that the old woman had appeared in court so many more times than the magistrates themselves, that they were obliged to keep a sharp look-out upon their procedure.  However, when Stubberd had rambled on a little further Henchard broke out impatiently, “Come—­we don’t want to hear any more of them cust dees and bees!  Say the words out like a man, and don’t be so modest, Stubberd; or else leave it alone!” Turning to the woman, “Now then, have you any questions to ask him, or anything to say?”

“Yes,” she replied with a twinkle in her eye; and the clerk dipped his pen.

“Twenty years ago or thereabout I was selling of furmity in a tent at Weydon Fair——­”

“’Twenty years ago’—­well, that’s beginning at the beginning; suppose you go back to the Creation!” said the clerk, not without satire.