R E P O R T E R : " Major St. John, even at the risk of being committed for contempt, I must respectfully submit that your oft-asserted theory as to this Court being yours, is based, to put it mildly, on misapprehension This Court belongs to the T o w n of Melbourne, and not the County of Bourke, as a Justice of which you are n o w sitting, and even were it otherwise, Dr. Wilmot, the other Magistrate, is for the present, at all events, a co-proprietor." T H E M A J O R : (shaking with passion); " Confound you, will you stop that jawing of yours ? Have you the impudence to talk to m e about what constitutes a legal title to a police office? Look here, Brodie," (to the Chief-Constable), "if that fellow says another word, I order you to take and lock him up for six hours in the watch-house." During this verbal altercation the second Magistrate (Dr. Wilmot), looked through his spectacles at the talking pair. H e appeared as a m a n dazed, trying to comprehend what was going on, and with difficulty half succeeding. H e was a mild-mannered, amiable, old gentleman, with a great deal of the "old w o m a n " in his disposition. H e would have liked very m u c h to act as peacemaker, but he wanted the pluck to interfere ; and so he prudently let matters alone, through a fear of making what was undoubtedly bad decidedly worse. Mr. Finn had no notion of being incarcerated for the six hours, so he immediately rose, bowed to the Bench, and marched out of the Court, followed by the sniggering of Brodie w h o chuckled at finding him in for it at last. At seven o'clock that evening, Mr. Finn stood at the door of Major St. John's private residence in Brunswick Street. T h e Major was in, but could not be seen. T h e visitor, prepared for this, had a peremptory note written, requesting a private interview on business that brooked not delay. A n d this was taken in. Amongst the more thoroughly developed bumps in the Major's craniological system was that of curiosity, and when he read the missive he felt an amused interest to know what on earth could the person w h o m he so roughly-tongued that day want with him, and in private too, at his o w n house. The Major was by no means an unread man, and possibly at the m o m e n t the well-known lines from Scott's Marmion occurred to h i m — " A n d dar'st thou then T o beard the lion in his den, The Douglas in his hall?"
H e was neither ungenerous nor unforgiving, especially after dinner, and in something approaching a gleeful humour, answered the note in person, received the stranger cordially, and ushered him into a small back room, where a lively log-fire burned, and a natty table displayed certain appliances by no means discouraging. There were two chairs, and the Major, drawing one towards thefireplace,motioned his visitor to be seated. Retiring for a few moments, he returned with a bottle of whisky, and declared he would give the other something, the like of which he did not taste since he left the land famous for potatoes and potheen. Hot water and sugar were not long behind, and after the grog bad been mixed, stirred, and tasted, the Major said : "Well, h o w do you like it ? " to which Finn replied that "It was the best un-paid for whisky he ever drank." T h e Major, atfirstnot understanding the drift of the remark, was a little puzzled h o w to take it, and asked Finn " W h a t did he m e a n ? " when the answer was, that " T h e bottle of whisky was no doubt portion of a present which the Major received the week before from Mr. , a spirit merchant, who was interested in the issue of a license to a tenant of his." T h e Major burst into a terrible fume of 'rage, and asked Finn " If he had the audacity to come into his house to insult him?" simultaneously taking up the poker, and stirring the fire with it, declared that only the fellow was in his house, he had a notion of breaking his head. Finn took the business very coolly, and also another taste of the toddy, and quietly spoke to his host to something like this effect:—" Look here, Major, put your bluster in your pocket, and your poker aside. Though you are in your o w n house, you are not in your o w n Court now, and there is no Brodie to lock m e up, so I a m grateful for your hot whisky, and reciprocate your respect for the laws of hospitality. I have come here to-night forced by your outrageous treatment of m e to-day, to do a little business and to that let m e come. Your goings on for the last few years are sufficient, if known, and circumstantially verified, to ruin fifty like you. N o w I have in m y pocket an inventory of a few of your transgressions, annotated with day and date, chapter and verse, and just have a little patience while I recapitulate them." Drawing from an inside pocket a sheet of foolscap, Finn proceeded to read
