Maule carefully wrote down all that our witness said, and I began to
think the defence of insanity stood on very fair grounds, especially
when I perceived that Maule was making some arithmetical calculations.
But you never could tell by his manner which way he was going, and
therefore we had to wait for his next observation, which was to this
effect:--

"You have given yourself, sir, a very excellent character, and
doubtless, by your long service in the village, have richly
deserved it. You have, no doubt, also won the affection of all your
parishioners, probably that of the Bishop of your diocese, by your
incomparable devotion to your parochial duties. The result, however,
of your indefatigable exertions, so far as this unhappy man is
concerned, comes to this--"

His lordship then turned and addressed his observations on the result
to me.

"This gentleman, Mr. Hawkins, has written with his own pen and
preached or read with his own voice to this unhappy prisoner about
_one hundred and four Sunday sermons or discourses, with an occasional
homily, every year_."

There was an irresistible sense of the ludicrous as Maule uttered, or
rather growled, these words in a slow enunciation and an asthmatical
tone. He paused as if wondering at the magnitude of his calculations,
and then commenced again more slowly and solemnly than before.

"These," said he, "added to the week-day services--make--exactly