hard cash-第169章

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〃Captain　Dodd　was　wrecked　off　the　French　coast；〃　suggested　Mr。　Saunders。

〃My　learned　friend　had　better　go　into　the　witness…box；　if　he　means　to　give　evidence；〃　said　Mr。　Colt。

〃You　are　very　much　afraid　of　a　very　little　truth；〃　retorted　Saunders。

The　judge　stopped　this　sham　rencontre；　by　asking　the　witness　whether　her　father　had　been　wrecked。　She　said　〃Yes。〃

〃And　that　is　how　the　money　was　lost；〃　persisted　Saunders。

〃Possibly；〃　said　the　judge。

〃I'm　darned　if　it　was；〃　said　Joshua　Fullalove　composedly。

Instantly；　all　heads　were　turned　in　amazement　at　this　audacious　interruption　to　the　soporific　decorum　of　an　English　court。　The　transatlantic　citizen　received　this　battery　of　eyes　with　complete　imperturbability。

〃Si…lence！〃　roared　the　crier；　awaking　from　a　nap；　with　an　instinct　that　something　unusual　had　happened。　But　the　shrewd　old　judge　had　caught　the　sincerity　with　which　the　words　were　uttered；　and　put　on　his　spectacles　to　examine　the　speaker。

〃Are　you　for　the　plaintiff　or　the　defendant？〃

〃I　don't　know　either　of　'em　from　Adam；　my　lord。　But　I　know　Captain　Dodd's　pocket…book　by　the　bullet…hole。〃

〃Indeed！　You　had　better　call　this　witness；　Mr。　Colt。〃

Your　lordship　must　excuse　me；　I　am　quite　content　with　my　evidence；〃　said　the　wary　advocate。

〃Well　then；　I　shall　call　him　as　_amicus　curiae；_　and　the　defendant's　counsel　can　cross…examine　him。〃

Fullalove　went　into　the　box；　was　sworn；　identified　the　pocket…book；　and　swore　he　had　seen　fourteen　thousand　pounds　in　it　on　two　occasions。　With　very　little　prompting；　he　told　the　sea…fight；　and　the　Indian　darkie's　attempt　to　steal　the　money；　and　pointed　out　Vespasian　as　the　rival　darkie　who　had　baffled　the　attempt。　Then　he　told　the　shipwreck　to　an　audience　now　breathlessand　imagine　the　astonished　interest　with　which　Julia　and　Edward　listened　to　this　stranger　telling　them　the　new　strange　story　of　their　own　father！and　lastly；　the　attempt　of　the　two　French　wreckers　and　assassins；　and　how　it　had　been　baffled。　And　so　the　mythical　cash　was　tracked　to　Boulogne。

The　judge　then　put　this　question；　〃Did　Captain　Dodd　tell　you　what　he　intended　to　do　with　it？〃

_Fullalove_　（reverently）。I　think；　my　lord；　he　said　he　was　going　to　give　it　to　his　wife。　（Sharply。）　Well；　what　is　it；　old　hoss？　What　are　you　making　mugs　at　me　for？　Don't　you　know　it's　clean　against　law　to　telegraph　a　citizen　in　the　witness…box？

_The　Judge。_This　won't　do；　this　won't　do。

_The　Crier。_Silence　in　the　court。

〃Do　you　hyar　now　what　his　lordship　says？〃　said　Fullalove；　with　ready　tact。　〃If　you　know　anything　more；　come　up　hyar　and　swear　it　like　an　enlightened　citizen；　do　you　think　I　am　going　to　swear　for　tew？〃　With　this　Vespasian　and　Fullalove　proceeded　to　change　places　amidst　roars　of　laughter　at　the　cool　off…hand　way　this　pair　arranged　forensicalities；　but　Serjeant　Saunders　requested　Fullalove　to　stay　where　he　was。　〃Pray　sir；〃　said　he　slowly；　〃who　retained　you　for　a　witness　in　this　cause？〃

Fullalove　looked　puzzled。

〃Of　course　somebody　asked　you　to　drop　in　here　so　very　accidentally：　come　now；　who　was　it？〃

〃I'm　God　Almighty's　witness　dropped　from　the　clouds；　I　cal'late。〃

〃Come；　sir；　no　prevarication。　How　came　you　here　just　at　the　nick　of　time？〃

〃Counsellor；　when　I'm　treated　polite；　I'm　ile；　but　rile　me；　and　I'm　thunder　stuffed　with　pison：　don't　you　raise　my　dander；　and　I'll　tell　you。　I　have　undertaken　to　educate　this　yar　darkie；〃here　he　stretched　out　a　long　arm；　and　laid　his　hand　on　Vespasian's　woolly　pate〃and　I'm　bound　to　raise　him　to　the　Eu…ropean　model。〃　（Laughter。）　〃　So　I　said　to　him；　coming　over　Westminster　Bridge；　'Now　there's　a　store　hyar　where　they　sell　a　very　extraordinary　Fixin；　and　it's　called　Justice；　they　sell　it　tarnation　dear；　_but_　prime。　So　I　make　tracks　for　the　very　court　where　I　got　the　prime　article　three　years　ago；　against　a　varmint　that　was　breaking　the　seventh　and　eighth　commandments　over　me；　adulterating　my　patent　and　then　stealing　it。　Blast　him！〃　（A　roar　of　laughter。）　〃And　coming　along　I　said　this　old　country's　got　some　good　pints　after　all；　old　hoss。　One　is　they'll　sell　you　justice　dear；　_but_　prime　in　these　yar　courts；　if　you　were　born　at　Kamschatkee；　and　the　other　is；　hyar　darkies　are　free　as　air；　disenthralled　by　the　univarsal　genius　of　British　liberty；　and　then　I　pitched　Counsellor　Curran's　bunkum　into　this　darkie；　and　he　sucked　it　in　like　mother's　milk；　and　in　we　came　on　tiptoe；　and　the　first　thing　we　heard　was　a　freeborn　Briton　treated　wus　than　ever　a　nigger　in　Old　Kentuck；　decoyed　away　from　his　gal；　shoved　into　a　darned　madhousethe　darbies　clapped　on　him〃

〃We　don't　want　your　comments　on　the　case；　sir。〃

〃No；　nor　any　other　free　and　enlightened　citizen's；　I　reckon。　Wal；　Vespasian　and　me　sat　like　mice　in　a　snowdrift；　and　hid　our　feelings　out　of　good　manners；　being　strangers；　till　his　lordship　got　e…tarnally　fixed　about　the　Captain's　pocket…book。　Vesp。；　says　I；　this　hurts　my　feelings　powerful。　Says　I；　this　hyar　lord　did　the　right　thing　about　my　patent：　he　summed　up　just：　and　now　he　is　in　an　everlasting　fix　himself：　one　good　turn　deserves　another；　I'll　get　him　out　of　this　fix；　any　way。〃　Here　the　witness　was　interrupted　with　a　roar　of　laughter　that　shook　the　court。　Even　the　judge　leaned　back　and　chuckled；　genially　though　quietly。　And　right　sorrowful　was　every　Briton　there　when　Saunders　closed　abruptly　the　cross…examination　of　Joshua　Fullalove。

His　lordship　then　said　he　wished　to　ask　Vespasian　a　question。

Saunders　lost　patience。　〃　What；　another　_amicus　curiae；_　my　lud！　This　is　unprecedented。〃

〃Excuse　my　curiosity；　Brother　Saunders；〃　said　the　judge　ironically。　〃I　wish　to　trace　this　L。　14；000　as　far　as　possible。　Have　you　any　particular　objection　to　the　truth　on　this　head　of　evidence？〃

〃No；　my　lud；　I　never　urge　objections　when　I　can't　enforce　them。〃

〃Then　you　are　a　wise　man。〃　（To　Vespasian；　after　he　had　been　sworn）；　〃Pray　did　Captain　Dodd　tell　you　what　he　intended　to　do　with　this　money？〃

〃Is；　massa　judge；　massa　captan　told　dis　child　he　got　a　branker　in　some　place　in　de　old　country；　called　Barkinton。　And　he　said　dis　branker　bery　good　branker；　much　sartiner　not　to　break　dan　the　brank　of　England。　（A　howl。）　De　captan　said　he　take　de　money　to　dis　yer　branker；　and　den　hab　no　more　trouble　wid　it。　Den　it　off　my　stomach；　de　captan　say；　and　dis　child　heerd　him。　Yah！〃

The　plaintiff's　case　being　apparently　concluded；　the　judge　retired　for　a　few　minutes。

In　the　buzz　that　followed；　a　note　was　handed　to　Mr。　Compton；　_〃Skinner！_　On　a　hot　scent。　Sure　to　find　him　to…day。_N。B。_　He　is　wanted　by　another　party。　There　is　something　curious　a…foot。〃

Compton　wrote　on　a　slip；　〃For　Heaven's　sake；　bring　him　directly。　In　half　an　hour　it　will　be　too　late。〃

Green　hurried　out　and　nearly　ran　against　Mr。　Richard　Hardie；　who　was　moodily　pacing　Westminster　Hall　at　the　climax　of　his　own　anxiety。　To　him　all　turned　on　Skinner。　Five　minutes　passed；　ten；　fifteen；　twenty：　all　the　plaintiff's　party　had　their　eyes　on　the　door；　but　Green　did　not　return；　and　the　judge　did。　Then　to　gain　a　few　minutes　more；　Mr。　Colt；　instructed　by　Compton；　rose　and　said　with　great　solemnity；　〃We　are　about　to　call　our　last　witness：　the　living　have　testified　to　my　client's　sanity；　and　now　we　shall　read　you　the　testimony　of　the　dead。〃

_Saunders。_That　I　object　to；　of　course。

_Colt。_Does　my　learned　friend　mean　to　say　he　objects　at　random？

_Saunders。_Nothing　of　the　kind。　I　object　on　the　law　of　evidencea　matter　on　which　my　learned　friend　seems　to　be　under　a　hallucination　as　complete　as　his　client's　about　that　L。　14；000。

　　　　　_Colt。_There's　none　ever　feared　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　That　the　truth　should　he　heard　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　But　they　whom　the　truth　would　indict。

_Saunders。_A　court　of　justice　is　not　the　place　for　old　songs；　and　new　law。

_Colt。_Really；　my　learned　friend　is　the　objective　case　incarnate。　（To　Compton。I　can't　keep　this　nonsense　up　for　ever。　Is　Skinner　come？）　He　has　a　Mania　for　objection；　and　with　your　lordship's　permission　I'll　buy　a　couple　of　doctors　and　lock　him　up　in　an　asylum　as　he　leaves　the　court　this　afternoon。　（Laughter。）

_The　judge。_A　very　good　plan：　then　you'll　no　longer　feel　the　weight　of　his　abilities。　I　conclude；　Mr。　Colt；　you　intend　to　call　a　witness　who　will　swear　to　t