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The Green Bag
myself in the presence of Justice, and I fear that I shall but stammer in my words. But to break through the subtle ties that you can weave around a single word, I say and declare before you Messieurs and your assist ants, that I swear to God, and to the King— to God on the eternal damnation of my soul, and to the King on the forfeiture of my honor and my life—that I have never promised mar riage to M. le Marquis Jehan-Loys de Saluces, and furthermore, never in my life even thought of it. And if any one wills to assert the con trary, here," and she took M. de Sire de Vieilleville by the hand, "is my Chevalier, whom I present, to maintain my word which he knows to be most true and to be proffered by a dame of honor, if ever there was one, and a noblewoman of rank, hoping in God and my right. He who says the contrary, saving the honor of the Court, villainously lies." "Quel revers!" exclaimed the First Presi
dent. "You may as well fold up your papers. Greffier, for aught I can see, this is no ques tion of documents. Madame la Marechale has taken another road and a much shorter one." And turning to M. de Saluces he said: "Eh bien. Monsieur! what say you to this turn?" The Marquis replied: "I want no wife by force. If she will not have me, I will none of her." And, making his obeisance, he with drew. The Sire adds : "His pulse fell suddenly; an indisposition not of body but of nerve seized him, for he knew too well the courage of her Chevalier to enter into a too long dis pute." Madame la Marechale evidently had not been the wife of a Marshal of France in vain. For coolness in using others to her advantage, and for self-possession before such an assembly, in uttering a challenge based on a disused privilege she deserved the title she gave herself, as "une fort femme de bien."
The Lawyer's Bride OR The Suit of William Styles (" B ill' '-for-short) Being the pleadings of a young legal practitioner to the fair Phyllis, as sung b y h. f. von haast at the dinner to the judges, Given in New Zealand May 4, 1909 Will you come with me, my Phyllis dear, and be a lawyer's bride? Drawn up is my conveyance, so to the church let's ride : Oh, don't reserve your judgment, but say you'll marry me! And do not let your answer be merely C. A. V. Refrain—List to me Phyllis, grant my petition, Come with me Phyllis dear and be a lawyer's bride. The best man, Thomas Smiles, is a fellow that you know, And I shall have as groomsmen, John Doe and Richard Roe; Away you shall be given, if discover him we can, By the bonus paterfamilias or the average prudent man.
