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| A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court | Mark Twain |
The Yankee And The King Sold As Slaves |
Page 7 of 7 |
You see, he knew his own laws just as other people so often know the laws; by words, not by effects. They take a MEANING, and get to be very vivid, when you come to apply them to yourself. All hands shook their heads and looked disappointed; some turned away, no longer interested. The orator said -- and this time in the tones of business, not of sentiment: "An ye do not know your country's laws, it were time ye learned them. Ye are strangers to us; ye will not deny that. Ye may be freemen, we do not deny that; but also ye may be slaves. The law is clear: it doth not require the claimant to prove ye are slaves, it requireth you to prove ye are not." I said: "Dear sir, give us only time to send to Astolat; or give us only time to send to the Valley of Holiness --" "Peace, good man, these are extraordinary requests, and you may not hope to have them granted. It would cost much time, and would unwarrantably inconvenience your master --" "MASTER, idiot!" stormed the king. "I have no master, I myself am the m--" "Silence, for God's sake!" I got the words out in time to stop the king. We were in trouble enough already; it could not help us any to give these people the notion that we were lunatics. |
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A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court Mark Twain |
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