hard cash-第167章

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　his　fatal　openness。　In　one　thing　both　these　sorely　tried　young　people　agreed；　that　there　could　be　no　marriage　with　Alfred　now。　But　here　again　Julia　entreated　her　brother　not　to　be　candid；　not　to　tell　Alfred　this　at　present。　〃Oh　do　not　go　and　dispirit　him　just　now；〃　she　said；　〃or　he　will　do　something　rash。　No；　he　must　and　shall　get　his　first…class；　and　win　his　trial；　and　then　you　know　any　lady　will　be　too　proud　to　marry　him；　and；　when　he　is　married　and　happy；　you　can　tell　him　I　did　all　I　could　for　him；　and　hunted　up　the　witnesses；　and　was　his　loving　friend；　though　I　could　notbehiswife。〃

She　could　not　say　this　without　crying；　but　she　said　it　for　all　that；　and　meant　it　too。

Besides　helping　Mr。　Compton　to　get　up　the　evidence；　this　true　and　earnest　friend　and　lover　had　attended　the　court　day　after　day；　to　watch　how　things　were　done；　and；　womanlike；　to　see　what　_pleased_　and　what　_displeased_　the　court。

The　witnesses　subpoenaed　on　either　side　in　Hardie　_v。_　Hardie　began　to　arrive　at　ten　o'clock；　and　a　tall　stately　man　paraded　Westminster　Hall；　to　see　if　Skinner　came　with　them。　All　other　anxieties　had　merged　in　this：　for　the　counsel　had　assured　him　if　nothing　unexpected　turned　up；　Thomas　Hardie　would　have　a　verdict；　or　if　not；　the　damages　would　be　nominal。

At　last　the　court　crier　cried；　with　a　loud　voice；　〃Hardie　_v。_　Hardie。〃　Julia's　eyes　roved　very　anxiously　for　Alfred；　and　up　rose　Mr。　Garrow；　and　stated　to　the　court　the　substance　of　the　declaration：　〃To　this；〃　he　said；　〃three　pleas　have　been　pleaded：　first；　the　plea　of　not　guilty；　which　is　a　formal　plea；　also　another　plea；　which　has　been　demurred　to；　and　struck　off　the　record；　and；　lastly；　that　at　the　time　of　the　alleged　imprisonment　the　plaintiff　was　of　unsound　mind；　and　a　fit　person　to　be　confined；　which　is　the　issue　now　to　be　tried。〃

Mr。　Garrow　then　sat　down；　very　tired　of　this　preliminary　work；　and　wondering　when　he　should　have　the　luck　to　conduct　such　a　case　as　Hardie　_v。_　Hardie；　and　leaned　forward　to　be　ready　to　prompt　his　senior；　a　portly　counsel；　whom　Mr。　Compton　had　retained　because　he　was　great　at　addressing　juries；　and　no　point　of　law　could　now　arise　in　the　Case。

Colt；　Q。　C。；　rose　like　a　tower；　knowing　very　little　of　the　facts；　and　seeming　to　know　everything。　He　had　a　prodigious　business；　and　was　rather　indolent；　and　often　skimmed　his　brief　at　home；　and　then　mastered　it　in　courtif　he　got　time。　Now；　it　is　a　good　general's　policy　to　open　a　plaintiffs　case　warily；　and　reserve　your　rhetoric　for　the　reply；　and　Mr。　Colt　always　took　this　line　when　his　manifold　engagements　compelled　him；　as　in　Hardie　_v。_　Hardie；　to　teach　his　case　first　and　learn　it　afterwards。　I　will　only　add；　that　in　the　course　of　his　opening　he　was　on　the　edge　of　seven　distinct　blunders；　but　Garrow　watched　him　and　always　shot　a　whisper　like　a　bullet　just　in　time。　Colt　took　it；　and　glided　away　from　incipient　error　imperceptibly；　and　with　a　tact　you　can　have　no　conception　of。　The　jury　did　not　detect　the　creaking　of　this　machinery；　Serjeant　Saunders　did；　and　grinned　satirically；　so　did　poor　Julia；　and　her　cheeks　burned　and　her　eyes　flashed　indignant　fire。　And　horror　of　horrors；　Alfred　did　not　appear。

Mr。　Colt's　opening　may　be　thus　condensed：　The　plaintiff　was　a　young　gentleman　of　great　promise　and　distinction；　on　whom；　as　usual　in　these　cases　of　false　imprisonment；　money　was　settled。　He　was　a　distinguished　student　at　Eton　and　Oxford；　and　no　doubt　was　ever　expressed　of　his　sanity　till　he　proposed　to　marry；　and　take　his　money　out　of　his　trustees　hands　by　a　marriage　settlement。　On　this　his　father；　who　up　to　that　time　had　managed　his　funds　as　principal　trustee；　showed　him　great　personal　hostility　for　some　time；　and　looked　out　for　a　tool：　that　tool　he　soon　found　in　his　brother；　the　defendant；　a　person　who；　it　would　be　proved；　had　actually　not　seen　the　plaintiff　for　a　year　and　a　half；　yet；　with　great　recklessness　and　inhumanity；　had　signed　away　his　liberty　and　his　happiness　behind　his　back。　Then　tools　of　another　kindthe　kind　that　anybody　can　buy；　a　couple　of　doctors　were；　as　usual；　easily　found　to　sign　the　certificates。　One　of　these　doctors　had　never　seen　him　but　for　five　minutes；　and　signed　in　manifest　collusion　with　the　other。　They　decoyed　this　poor　young　gentleman　away　on　his　wedding　morning　on　his　wedding　morning；　gentlemen；　mark　thatand　consigned　him　to　the　worst　of　all　dungeons。　What　he　suffered　there　he　must　himself　relate　to　you；　for　we；　who　have　the　happiness　to　walk　abroad　in　the　air　of　reason　and　liberty；　are　little　able　to　realise　the　agony　of　mind　endured　by　a　sane　man　confined　among　the　insane。　What　we　undertake　is　to　prove　his　sanity　up　to　the　very　hour　of　his　incarceration；　and　also　that　he　was　quite　sane　at　the　time　when　a　brutal　attempt　to　recapture　him　by　violence　was　made　under　the　defendant's　order；　and　defeated　by　his　own　remarkable　intelligence　and　courage。　Along　with　the　facts　the　true　reason　why　he　was　imprisoned　will　probably　come　out。　But　I　am　not　bound　to　prove　sinister　motives。　It　is　for　the　defendant　to　prove；　if　he　can；　that　he　had　lawful　motives　for　a　lawless　act；　and　that　he　exercised　due　precaution；　and　did　not　lend　himself　recklessly　to　the　dark　designs　of　others。　If　he　succeed　in　this；　that　may　go　in　mitigation　of　damages；　though　it　cannot　affect　the　verdict。　_Our_　principal　object　is　the　verdict；　which　will　remove　the　foul　aspersion　cast　on　my　injured　client；　and　restore　him　to　society。　And　to　this　verdict　we　are　entitled；　unless　the　other　side　can　prove　the　plaintiff　was　insane。　Call　Alfred　Hardie。

And　with　this　he　sat　down。

An　official　called　Alfred　Hardie　very　loud；　he　made　no　reply。　Julia　rose　from　her　seat　with　dismay　painted　on　her　countenance。　Compton's；　Garrow's；　and　Colt's　heads　clashed　together。

Mr。　Colt　jumped　up　again；　and　said；　〃My　Lud；　I　was　not　aware　the　gentleman　they　accuse　of　insanity　is　just　being　examined　for　high　honours　in　the　University　of　Oxford。〃　Aside　to　Compton；　〃And　if　he　doesn't　come　you　may　give　them　the　verdict。〃

〃Well；〃　said　the　judge；　〃of　course　he　will　be　here　before　you　close　your　case。〃

On　this　the　three　heads　clashed　again；　and　Serjeant　Saunders；　for　the　defendant；　popped　up　and　said　with　great　politeness；　and　affectation　of　sympathy；　〃My　Lud；　I　can　quite　understand　my　learned　friend's　hesitation　to　produce　his；　principal　witness。〃

〃You　understand　nothing　about　the　matter；〃　said　Colt　cavalierly。　〃Call　Mr。　Harrington。〃

Mr。　Harrington　was　Alfred's　tutor　at　Eton；　and　deposed　to　his　sanity　there；　he　was　not　cross…examined。　After　him　they　went　on　step　by　step　with　a　fresh　witness　for　every　six　months；　till　they　brought　him　close　to　the　date　of　his　incarceration；　then　they　put　in　one　of　Julia's　witnesses；　Peterson；　who　swore　Alfred　had　talked　to　him　like　a　sane　person　that　very　morning；　and　repeated　what　had　passed。　Cross…examination　only　elicited　that　he　and　Alfred　were　no　longer　good　friends；　which　rather　strengthened　the　evidence。　Then　Giles　and　Hannah；　now　man　and　wife；　were　called；　and　swore　he　was　sane　all　the　time　he　was　at　Silverton　House。　Mr。　Saunders　diminished　the　effect　by　eliciting　that　they　had　left　on　bad　terms　with　Mr。　Baker；　and　that　Alfred　had　given　them　money　since。　But　this　was　half　cured　on　re…examination；　by　being　set　down　to　gratitude　on　Alfred's　part。　And　now　the　judge　went　to　luncheon；　and　in　came　a　telegraphic　message　to　say　Alfred　was　in　the　fast　train　coming　up。　This　was　good　news　and　bad。　They　had　hoped　he　would　drop　in　before。　They　were　approaching　that　period　of　the　case；　when　not　to　call　the　plaintiff　must　produce　a　vile　impression。　The　judgeout　of　good　nature；　I　suspectwas　longer　at　luncheon　than　usual；　and　every　minute　was　so　much　gained　to　Mr。　Compton　and　Julia；　who　were　in　a　miserable　state　of　anxiety。　Yet　it　was　equalled　by　Richard　Hardie's；　who　never　entered　the　court　but　paced　the　hall　the　livelong　day　to　intercept　Noah　Skinner。　And；　when　I　tell　you　that　Julia　had　consulted　Mr。　Green；　and　that　he　had　instantly　pronounced　Mr。　Barkington　to　be　a　man　from　Barkington　who　knew　the　truth　about　the　fourteen　thousand　pounds；　and　that　the　said　Green　and　his　myrmidons　were　hunting　Mr。　Barkington　like　beagles；　you　will　see　that　R。　Hardie's　was　no　vain　terror。　At　last　the　judge　returned；