Then he sat down in another chair.
"I don't know what you mean," he said at last, to gain time.
"I mean what I say," said Claudius.

"Could you swear, before the Supreme Court of the United States, for instance, that I am Claudius, sometime student, now Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Heidelberg in Germany?
Could you swear that ?" "My dear boy," said the other, "what in the world are you driving at ?" The Duke realised that he could not conscientiously swear to any such statement as that proposed by Claudius; and, liking him as he did, he was much distressed at being put into such a corner.
"I will tell you afterwards what it is about, Duke," said Claudius.

"I am serious, and I would like you to answer the question, though I foresee that you will say you could not swear to anything of the kind." "Honestly, Claudius, though there is not the slightest doubt in my mind that you are what you appear to be, I could not conscientiously swear it in evidence.

I do not know anything about you.

But Barker could." "No, he could not.