[Sidenote: Tragic comedy.]
There were plenty of lighter strains to relieve the deadly earnestness
of a man who had thoroughly thought out his case. And, curiously enough,
these pleasant sallies nearly all had allusion to those tragic nine
years of penal servitude through which Davitt has passed. Mr. Dunbar
Barton, one of the Orange lawyers, had spoken of himself as likely to
spend the remainder of his days in penal servitude. Mr. Davitt put the
threat gently aside, with the assurance that the hon. and learned
gentleman would probably be one day on the bench, and that he would
advise him not to try to reach the bench by the dock. The same gentleman
had expressed a doubt whether any constitutional lawyer would hold that
he was guilty either of treason or treason felony, if he took up arms
against Home Rule after it had been passed by both Houses of Parliament.
"Would," said Mr. Davitt, with quiet pathos, "I had met such a
constitutional authority in the shape of a judge twenty-three long years
ago."
[Sidenote: A vulgar and caddish interruption.]
And, finally, what contributed to the marvellous effect of this speech
was its temper and one interruption.
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