BUREAU OF APPROPRIATED PERIODICALS |
| DIRECTOR Hermolaos Bálint |
ABOUT
Orderly enough," he replied, " but order is not always the same as morality. Do you sec that extensive building, around which there seems to be more than usual ferment—people going in and out continually, and some extremely solemn proceedings going forward under its roof?"
" It seems a court of justice," said I.
" You see the judges ?" said he.
" Yes," said I; " and just at this moment I see one of them called aside by a person in the court; they have retired to converse behind a curtain."
"I'll draw that curtain for you," said he.
" The judge seems to be pocketing a sum of money," I exclaimed.
" No doubt of it," said Diavolo; " the party making the present is simply agent for the defendant in the suit. Now let us observe how the cause terminates."
The judge returned to the judgmentseat: tho proceedings seemed to be continued for some time with the utmost gravity and decorum ; but the result was, of course, decided by what had passed behind the curtain.
" In future," said I, " I shall look upon Judge Bridlegoosc, with his dicebox, as an upright magistrate."
" What you have seen in this one court," said my friend, " is going on, in some shape or another, at this mo• ment in every court in the empire. And now that you have seen how they steal justice, let me show you how expert they are in stealing other things. You observe those immense government magazines and stores?"
" Thronged with people in official or military uniforms?"
" Yes; can you distinguish what they are about ?"
I watched the officers closely for some minutes, for, whatever it was they were doing seemed to be done with the greatest caution and circumspection. At length I was thoroughly satisfied as to the nature of their proceedings.