hard cash-第163章

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Messrs。　Heathfield　began　this　game　unluckily。　They　applied　to　a　judge　in　chambers　for　a　month　to　plead。　Mr。　Compton　opposed　in　person；　and　showed　that　this　was　absurd。　The　judge　allowed　them　only　four　days　to　plead。　Issue　being　joined；　Mr。　Compton　pushed　on　for　trial；　and　the　cause　was　set　down　for　the　November　term。　Towards　the　end　of　the　term　Messrs。　Heathfield　applied　to　one　of　the　puisne　judges　for　a　postponement；　on　the　ground　that　a　principal　witness　could　not　attend。　Application　was　supported　by　the　attorney's　affidavit；　to　the　effect　that　Mr。　Speers　was　in　Boulogne；　and　had　written　to　him　to　say　that　he　had　met　with　a　railway　accident；　and　feared　he　could　not　possibly　come　to　England　in　less　than　a　month。　A　respectable　French　doctor　confirmed　this　by　certificate。　Compton　opposed；　but　the　judge　would　hardly　hear　him；　and　postponed　the　trial　as　a　matter　of　course；　this　carried　it　over　the　sittings　into　next　term。　Alfred　groaned；　but　bore　it　patiently；　not　so　Dr。　Sampson：　he　raged　against　secret　tribunals：　〃See　how　men　deteriorate　the　moment　they　get　out　of　the　full　light　of　publeecity。　What　English　judge；　sitting　in　the　light　of　Shorthand；　would　admit　'Jack　swears　that　Gill　says'　for　legal　evidence。　Speers　has　sworn　to　no　facks。　Heathfield　has　sworn　to　no　facks　but　th'　existence　of　Speer's　hearsay。　They　are　a　couple　o'　lyres。　I'll　bet　ye　ten　pounds　t'　a　shilling　Speers　is　as　well　as　I'm。〃

Mr。　Compton　quietly　reminded　him　there　was　a　direct　statementthe　French　doctor's　certificate。

〃A　medical　certificut！〃　shrieked　Sampson；　amazed。　〃Maidearrsirr；　a　medical　certificut　is　just　an　article　o'　commerce　like　an　attorney's　conscience。　Gimme　a　guinea　and　I'll　get　you　sworn　sick；　diseased；　disabled；　or　dead　this　minute；　whichever　you　like　best。〃

〃Come；　doctor；　don't　fly　off：　you　said　you'd　bet　ten　pounds　to　a　shilling　Speers　is　not　an　invalid　at　all。　I　say　done。〃

〃Done。〃

〃How　will　you　find　out？〃

〃How？　Why　set　the　thief…takers　on　um；　to　be　sure。〃

He　wrote　off　to　the　prefect　of　police　at　Boulogne；　and　in　four　days　received　an　answer　headed　〃Information　in　the　interest　of　families。〃　The　prefect　informed　him　there　had　been　no　railway　accident：　but　that　the　Sieur　Speers；　English　subject；　had　really　hurt　his　leg　getting　out　of　a　railway　carriage　six　weeks　ago；　and　had　kept　his　room　some　days；　but　he　had　been　cured　some　weeks；　and　going　about　his　business；　and　made　an　excursion　to　Paris。

On　this　Compton　offered　Sampson　the　shilling。　But　he　declined　to　take　it。　〃The　lie　was　self…evident；〃　said　he；　〃and　here's　a　judge　wouldn't　see't；　and　an　attorney　couldn't。　Been　all　their　lives　sifting　evidence；　too。　Oh　the　darkness　of　the　profissional　mind！〃

The　next　term　came。　Mr。　Compton　delivered　the　briefs　and　fees；　subpoenaed　the　witnesses；　&c。；　and　Alfred　came　up　with　a　good　heart　to　get　his　stigma　removed　by　twelve　honest　men　in　the　light　of　day：　but　first　one　case　was　taken　out　of　its　order　and　put　before　him；　then　another；　till　term　wore　near　an　end。　Then　Messrs。　Heathfield　applied　to　another　judge　of　the　court　for　a　postponement。　Mr。　Richard　Hardie；　plaintiff's　father；　a　most　essential　witness；　was　ill　at　Clare　Court。　Medical　certificate　and　letter　herewith。

Compton　opposed。　Now　this　judge　was　a　keen　and　honourable　lawyer；　with　a　lofty　hatred　of　all　professional　tricks。　He　heard　the　two　attorneys；　and　delivered　himself　to　this　effect；　only　of　course　in　better　legal　phrase：　〃I　shall　make　no　order。　The　defendant　has　been　here　before　on　a　doubtful　affidavit。　You　know；　Mr。　Heathfield；　juries　in　these　cases　go　by　the　plaintiff's　evidence；　and　his　conduct　under　cross…examination。　And　I　think　it　would　not　be　just　nor　humane　to　keep　this　plaintiff　in　suspense；　and　_civiliter　mortuum；_　any　longer。　You　can　take　out　a　commission　to　examine　Richard　Hardie。〃

To　this　Mr。　Compton　nailed　him；　but　the　commission　took　time；　and　while　it　was　pending；　Mr。　Heathfield　went　to　another　judge　with　another　disabled　witness：　Peggy　Black。　That　naive　personage　was　nursing　her　deceased　sister's　childrenin　an　affidavit：　and　they　had　scarlatinasurgeon's　certificate　to　that　effect。　Compton　opposed；　and　pointed　out　the　blot。　〃You　don't　want　the　children　in　the　witness…box；〃　said　he：　〃and　we　are　not　to　be　robbed　of　our　trial　because　one　of　your　witnesses　prefer　nursing　other　people's　children　to　facing　the　witness…box。〃

The　judge　nodded　assent。　〃I　make　no　order；〃　said　he。

Mr。　Heathfield　went　out　from　his　presence　and　sent　a　message　by　telegraph　to　Peggy　Black。　〃You　must　have　Scar。　yourself；　and　telegraph　the　same　at　once：　certificate　by　post。〃

The　accommodating　maiden　telegraphed　back　that　she　had　unfortunately　taken　scarlatina　of　the　children：　medical　certificate　to　follow　by　post。　Four　judges　out　of　the　five　were　now　awake　to　the　move。　But　Mr。　Heathfield　tinkered　the　hole　in　his　late　affidavit　with　Peggy's　telegram；　and　slipped　down　to　Westminster　to　the　chief　judge　of　the　court；　who　had　had　no　opportunity　of　watching　the　growth　and　dissemination　of　disease　among　Deft。's；　witnesses。　Compton　fought　this　time　by　counsel　and　with　a　powerful　affidavit。　But　luck　was　against　him。　The　judge　had　risen　to　go　home：　he　listened　standing；　Compton's　counsel　was　feeble；　did　not　feel　the　wrong。　How　could　he？　Lawyers　fatten　by　delays　of　justice；　as　physicians　do　by　tardy　cure。　The　postponement　was　granted。

Alfred　cursed　them　all；　and　his　own　folly　in　believing　that　an　alleged　lunatic　would　be　allowed　fair　play　at　Westminster；　or　anywhere　else。　Compton　took　snuff；　and　Sampson　appealed　to　the　press　again。　He　wrote　a　long　letter　exposing　with　fearless　irony　the　postponement　swindle　as　it　had　been　worked　in　Hardie　_v。_　Hardie：　and　wound　up　with　this　fiery　peroration：

〃This　Englishman　sues　not　merely　for　damages；　but　to　recover　lost　rights　dearer　far　than　money；　of　which　he　says　he　has　been　unjustly　robbed：　his　right　to　walk　in　daylight　on　the　soil　of　his　native　land　without　being　seized　and　tied　up　for　life　like　a　nigger　or　a　dog；　his　footing　in　society；　a　chance　to　earn　his　bread；　and　a　place　among　mankind：　ay；　among　mankind；　for　a　lunatic　is　an　animal　in　the　law's　eye　and　society's；　and　an　alleged　lunatic　is　a　lunatic　till　a　jury　clears　him。

I　appeal　to　you；　gentlemen；　is　not　such　a　suitor　sacred　in　all　wise　and　good　men's　minds？　Is　he　not　defendant　as　well　as　plaintiff？　Why；　his　stake　is　enormous　compared　with　the　nominal　defendant's；　and；　if　I　know　right　from　wrong；　to　postpone　his　trial　a　fourth　time　would　be　to　insult　Divine　justice；　and　trifle　with　human　misery；　and　shock　the　common　sense　of　nations。〃

The　doctor's　pen　neither　clipped　the　words　nor　minced　the　matter；　you　see。　Reading　this　the　water　came　into　Alfred's　eyes。　〃Ah；　staunch　friend；〃　he　said；　〃how　few　are　like　you！　To　the　intellectual　dwarfs　who　conspire　with　my　oppressors；　Hardie　_v。_　Hardie　is　but　a　family　squabble。　_Parvis　omnia　parva。_〃　Mr。　Compton　read　it　too；　and　said　from　the　bottom　of　his　heart；　〃Heaven　defend　us　from　our　friends！　This　is　enough　to　make　the　courts　decline　to　try　the　case　at　all。〃

And；　indeed；　it　did　not　cure　the　evil：　for　next　term　another　_malade　affidavitaire_　was　set　up。　Speers　to　wit。　This　gentleman　deposed　to　having　come　over　on　purpose　to　attend　the　trial；　but　having　inadvertently　stepped　aside　as　far　as　Wales；　he　lay　there　stricken　with　a　mysterious　malady；　and　had　just　strength　to　forward　medical　certificate。　On　this　the　judge　in　spite　of　remonstrance；　adjourned　Hardie　_v。_　Hardie　to　the　summer　term。　Summer　came；　the　evil　day　drew　nigh：　Mr。　Heathfield　got　the　venue　changed　from　Westminster　to　London；　which　was　the　fifth　postponement。　At　last　the　cause　came　on：　the　parties　and　witnesses　were　all　in　court；　with　two　whole　days　before　them　to　try　it　in。

Dr。　Sampson　rushed　in　furious。　〃There　is　some　deviltry　afloat；〃　said　he。　〃I　was　in　the　House　of　Commons　last　night；　and　there　I　saw　the　defendant's　counsel　earwigging　the　judge。〃

〃Nonsense；〃　said　Mr。　Compton；　〃such　suspicions　are　ridiculous。　Do　you　think　they　can　talk　of　nothing　but　Hardie　_v。_　Hardie？〃

〃Maidearr　sirrmy　son　met　one　of　Heathfield's　clerks　at　dinner；　and　he　let　out　that　the　trile　was　not　to　come　off。　Put　this　and　that　together　now。〃

〃It　will　come　off；〃　said　Mr。　Compton；　〃and