"Your answer, woman," said the Countess. There was none--could be
none. Only the victim raised a white twitching face to a white stony
face, and with desperate eyes searched it for a ray of pity. Again
there was none--could be none.
The Countess went quickly up and struck her on the mouth with her open
hand. The victim shivered, but stood.
"Go, strumpet!" said the lady. She threw open the door, and thrust
Isoult into the crowd of men and maids waiting in the corridor.
Master Jasper Porges, the seneschal, was the man of all the world who
loved to have things orderly done. The hall was at his disposition; he
arranged his tribunal, the victim in the midst, accuser and witnesses
in a body about his stool, spectators to form a handsome ring--to set
off, as it were, his jewel.
"Her ladyship gives me a free hand in this affair," he said in a short
speech. "You could not have a better man; leave it to me therefore.
There must be a judge. By office, by years, by weariness, by
experience of all (or most) ways of evil-doing, I am the judge for
you. Good; I sit in the seat of judgment. There must be next a jury of
matrons, since this is a free and great country where no man or woman
(whichever this prisoner may be) can be so much as suspected of sex
without a judgment. And since we have not matrons enough, we will make
a shift with the maids. A dozen of you to the benches on the table, I
beg. So far, good. We need next an accused person. He, or she, is
there. Put the person well forward, if you please. Good. Now we are
ready for our advocates; we need an Advocatus Dei, or accuser,
and an Advocatus Diaboli, or common enemy, to be defender.
Melot, my chicken, you are advocate for God Almighty, and the office
is high enough for you, I hope. Diaboli Advocatus we have
naturally none, since this is a Christian land. Believe me, we are
better without such cattle. I proceed, therefore, by the rules of
logic which are well known to be irresistible, so much so that had
there been a devil's advocate present I must have declined to admit
him lest our Christian profession be made a mock. Hence it follows
that there is no defence. One might almost foretell the event; but
that would be prejudice. We proceed then to interpolate the accused,
saying--'Person, you (being a man) are strangely accused of being a
woman. The court invites you to declare yourself, adding this plain
rider and doom, that if you declare yourself a man, you are condemned
in the person of your familiar, the devil, who deceiveth those that
say you are a woman; and that if you prove to be a woman, you are
condemned by those who dealt with you as a man. Therefore, declare.'"