The latter sat with a paper before his face.
The document sometimes concealed his eyes and sometimes dropped below his mouth.
"Gentlemen," said the judge, beginning his charge, "you are the grand inquest for the body of this county, and you have now before you a prisoner charged with treason.

Treason, gentlemen, has two aspects: there is treason of the wicked imagination, and there is treason apparent: the former poisons the heart, the latter breaks forth in action." The judge drew his robes about him, and was about to continue, when the paper suddenly dropped from the face of the other occupant of the bench.
"Your pardon, brother Millet," he interrupted, and pointed towards Ralph's arms.

"When a prisoner comes to the bar his irons ought to be taken off.

Have you anything to object against these irons being struck away ?" "Nothing, brother Hide," replied the judge rather testily.

"Keeper, knock off the prisoner's irons." The official appealed to looked abashed, and replied that the necessary instruments were not at hand.
"They are of no account, my lord," said Ralph.
"They must be removed." When the delay attending this process was over and the handcuffs fell to the ground, the paper rose once more in front of the face of Justice Hide, and Justice Millet continued his charge.