‘Are they in the prisoner’s handwriting?’asked another of the jurymen. 🔊

‘No, they’re not,’ said the White Rabbit, ‘and that’s the queerest thing

about it.’ (The jury all looked puzzled.) 🔊

‘He must have imitated somebody else’s hand,’ said the King. 🔊 (The jury

all brightened up again.) 🔊

‘Please your Majesty,’ said the Knave, ‘I didn’t write it, and they

can’t prove I did: there’s no name signed at the end.’ 🔊

‘If you didn’t sign it,’ said the King, ‘that only makes the matter

worse. You must have meant some mischief, or else you’d have signed your

name like an honest man.’ 🔊

There was a general clapping of hands at this: it was the first really

clever thing the King had said that day. 🔊

‘That proves his guilt,’ said the Queen. 🔊

‘It proves nothing of the sort!’ said Alice. ‘Why, you don’t even know

what they’re about!’ 🔊

‘Read them,’ said the King. 🔊