The awful things I
saw, the fearful deeds that were perpetrated, would curdle your
very blood with horror, were I to relate them. You have seen a
specimen yourself, in the cold-blooded murder of that wretch half
an hour ago; and his is not the only life crying for vengeance on
these men. The slightest violation of their oath was punished,
and the doom of traitors and informers was instant death, whether
male or female. The sham trials and executions always took place
in presence of the whole court, to strike a salutary terror into
them, and never occurred but once a week, when the whole band
regularly met. My power continued undiminished; for they knew
either the dwarf or I must be supreme; and though the queen was
bad, the prince was worse. The said prince would willingly have
pulled me down from my eminence, and have mounted it himself; but
that he was probably restrained by a feeling that law-makers
should not be law-breakers, and that, if he set the example,
there would be no end to the insubordination and rebellion that
would follow."
"Were you living here or in London then?" inquired Sir Norman,
taking an advantage of a pause, employed by Miranda in shaking
off the crawling beetles.
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