We 'st gie yo a varra patient hearin.' And with chin thrown up, and his half-blurred eyes blinking under their white lashes, 'Lias waited with a bland imperativeness for the answer.
'Eh ?' said 'Lias at last, frowning and hollowing his hand to his ear.
He listened another few seconds, then he dropped his hand sharply.
'What's 'at yo're sayin ?' he asked hastily; ''at yo couldno help it, not _whativer_--that i' truth yo had nothin to do wi't, no moor than mysel--that yo wor _forcit_ to it--willy-nilly--by them devils o' Parliament foak--by Mr.Pym and his loike, wi whom, if God-amighty ha' not reckoned since, theer's no moor justice i' His Kingdom than yo found i' yours ?' The words came out with a rush, tumbling over one another till they suddenly broke off in a loud key of indignant scorn.

Then 'Lias fell silent a moment, and slowly shook his head over the inveterate shuffling of the House of Stuart.
''Twinna do, man--'twinna do,' he said at last, with an air of fine reproof.

'He wor your _friend_, wor that poor sinner Strafford--your awn familiar friend, as t' Psalm says.

I'm not takin up a brief for him, t' Lord knows! He wor but meetin his deserts, to _my_ thinkin, when his yed went loupin.

But yo put a black mark agen _yore_ name when yo signed that bit paper for your awn skin's sake.