Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-13

reprleVe?'
The answer took his breath away.
Il have it here" And the grand master
displayed a sheet OF parchment which
his hand had held from the moment he
had entered the hall. He turned to the
judges You had best examine 1t for
yourselves. sirs."
Rhynsault's face changed color.
STUPIDITY he had never supposed that
the original had survived He had
imagined 1t handed to Diesenhofen by
Mistress Johanna on that fatal Octo-
Der morning. and he had been care
leSs-culpably, stupidity careless, as he
now perceived-in not making sure of
1t afterward. Then he took heart
again. He was starting at shadows.
This was no such ponderous matter
after all.
He stood up. May I see this docu-
ment which 1 am said to have signed2"
Not merely signed sir; it is writ
ten in your hand. Let him see it for
himself M. de Chavaigny."
The captain brought 1t to him. and
held it under his eyes. This was the
document, indeed He took the only
possible line. THAT is not my hand!"
he clustered. IAN impudent forgery
vindictiyely prepared to -
'Messire de Rhynsault!" SO impress
sive was the grand masters voice that
the Lorrainer fell silent to listen. us it
worth your while to perjure yourself fur
ther? There will be men in plenty in
Middelburg who know your hand. There
are two within this hall at this instant
who can swear to 1t. In addition,
could bring an officer of your own to
swear not only that this reprieve Is in
your hand, but the very circumstances
in which it was presented to him, which
will hardly leave a doubt as to how it
came to be issued by you. Is it worth
while? Shall 1 call these present wit
nesses? If you persist in denial, must.
But let me remind you that the only
consequence will be to bring you into
increased contempt"
Rhynsault, knowing that he was
beaten, admitted that he had written
the reprieve.
The grand master then addressed the
judges. "Sirs, the Sire de Rhynsault Is
to be commended, at least, in that he
has not put it upon us to protract this
trial beyond what Is strictly necessary.
You have heard his admission that he
uttered this reprieve upon a man whom
he had convicted of high treason, and
in view of his admission, it is for you.
who are men of law, to say whether
the indictment charging the Sire de
Rhynsault with high treason has been
justified. I will limit myself with in
dAOu0ulS Vic POALb Va law uROAf
the indictment has been based. It runs,
I think-if am wrong, sirs, 1t is for
you to set me right-it runs that he
who comforts, shelters, nourishes, aids,
or SustainS, however lightly, a man con-
victed by a competent tribunal of the
odious crime of high treason Is him.
self guilty of that odiouS crime and Is
to be accounted the accomplice Of the
man convicted and to suffer in the same
IA VHoHYcaG and lNRkAd IN riyI1t
and left of him. "Is that interpreta-
ton of the law correct?"
1T Is grand MASTER" each answered
him in turn.
1T would appear, then, to be beyond
dispute that a man who rniSuSeS the
powers Of his gubernatorial Office to
grant a reprieVe to convicted traitor
must be held to have given aid to that
traitor in the highest possible degree
and therefore to have rendered himself
the mans accomplice and thus HIM
self become guilty Of high treason.
say only that it would appear So be-
cause, after all, 1t is for you, who are to
speak to the law to say whether In
effect it is so or not. That is what I
now invite you to consider"
Their answer was unanimously that
the law was clear, and the grand
masters application of it to the par
VASAA0A SeoS AAAASA NOAAoASAOAo OAOAA hAAdAA~
Swerable.
The Sire de Rhynsault's face became
the color OF lead and the sweat stood
in beads upon his brow, for all that
1t was chill within that hall. Then
he perceived the doom descending upon
him, and was too appalled, to speak, too
appalled, even to curse himself for the
readiness with which he had acknowl-
edged that reprieve. He should have
| doniAd 0nd danfaH nnd do
lays:
master addressing him now as felonS
are addressed without the courtesy Of
any title, you have heard the finding
of the judges, which convicts you Of
the high treason for which you have
been indicted. High treason is not an
offense that has ever been regarded at
any time or in any country with any
most dangerous to the state and the
most contagious. Therefore, it is the
duty of those who sit in the seat OF
justice to eXtirpate it effectively wher-
ever met. To an offense already in it
self the greatest. you have added in
this case a singular and unusual helm
BUSINESS. You have abused the powers
with which the dukes highness invested
you and defiled the sacred trust inn
posed upon you for purposes of your
own" He paused for full moment to
let that phrase sink home. Then he
continued: What those purposes may
have been We do not now inquire. since
the knowledge could not possibly ex-
tenuate your offenSe, and its further ag-
gravation is not necessary to the ends
of justice. But in your heart you will
know them, Rhynsault. and whatever
they may have been, I can but urge
you now to seek the clemency of God,
for the clemency of man is by the law
denied you"
He reached for the hour glass the
upper bulb of which was empty.
ITO seek that divine clemency you
shall have one hour. When these sands
are run, the sentence which I am now
to pass upon you shall be executed. You
are to be taken to the great square and
there in public your spurs shall be
struck off and you shall be degraded
from your knightly rank, and after
that your head shall be severed from
your body"
The grand master reversed the hour
glass and set 1t down upon the little
table. Then he stood up to depart At
last the awed silence was broken by
the voice of Rhynsault, hoarse, and
CLAIMANT, the man himself restrained
by the guards. His voice rose almost
to scream. He threatened them with
the vengeance of the duke If they
dared to execute that sentence; he de-
manded the right to appeal to the duke
in person.
The grand master raised his hand
for silence. RhynSault checked, that
he might listen, wildly hoping that his
threats might have inundated that
rash justiciary.
The sentence have passed upon
you" he said, has been passed with
the dukes voice. For here I speak for
the duke as you spoke for him In Mid