hard cash-第166章

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k　out　a　bag　of　gold。　He　spread　three　hundred　sovereigns　on　the　floor　and　put　the　candle　down　among　them。　They　sparkled；　they　were　all　new　ones；　and　he　rubbed　them　with　an　old　toothbrush　and　whiting　every　week。　〃That's　better　than　any　fire；〃　he　said；　〃they　warm　the　heart。　For　one　thing；　they　are　my　own：　at　all　events；　I　did　not　steal　them；　nor　take　them　of　a　thief　for　a　bribe　to　keep　dark　and　defraud　honest　folk。〃　Then　remorse　gripped　him：　he　asked　himself　what　he　was　going　to　do。　〃To　rob　an　angel；〃　was　the　answer。　〃The　fourteen　thousand　pounds　is　all　hers；　and　I　could　give　it　her　in　a　moment。　Curse　him；　he　would　have　killed　me　for　it。〃

Then　he　pottered　about　and　took　out　his　will。　〃Ah；〃　said　he；　〃that　is　all　right　so　far。　But　what　is　a　paltry　three　hundred　when　I　help　do　her　out　of　fourteen　thousand？　Villain！〃　Then；　to　ease　his　conscience；　he　took　a　slip　of　paper　and　wrote　on　it　a　short　account　of　the　Receipt；　and　how　he　came　by　it；　and　lo：　as　if　an　unseen　power　had　guided　his　hand；　he　added；　〃Miss　Dodd　lives　at　66；　Pembroke　Street；　and　I　am　going　to　take　it　to　her　as　soon　as　I　am　well　of　my　cold。〃　Whether　this　preceded　an　unconscious　resolve　which　had　worked　on　him　secretly　for　some　time；　or　whether　it　awakened　such　a　resolve；　I　hardly　know：　but　certain　it　is；　that　having　written　it；　he　now　thought　seriously　of　doing　it；　and；　the　more　seriously　he　entertained　the　thought；　the　more　good　it　seemed　to　do　him。　He　got　〃The　Sinner's　Friend〃　and　another　good　book　she　had　lent　him；　and　read　a　bit：　then；　finding　his　feet　frozen；　he　lighted　his　chafer　and　blew　it　well；　and　put　it　under　his　feet　and　read。　The　good　words　began　to　reach　his　heart　more　and　more：　so　did　the　thought　of　Julia's　goodness。　The　chafer　warmed　his　feet　and　legs。　〃Ay；〃　said　he；　〃men　don't　want　fires；　warm　the　feet　and　the　body　warms　itself。〃　He　took　out　〃The　Receipt〃　and　held　it　in　his　hand；　and　eyed　it　greedily；　and　asked　himself　could　he　really　part　with　it。　He　thought　he　couldto　Julia。　Still　holding　it　tight　in　his　left　hand；　he　read　on　the　good　but　solemn　words　that　seemed　to　loosen　his　grasp　upon　that　ill…gotten　paper。　〃How　good　it　was　of　her；〃　he　thought；　〃to　come　day　after　day　and　feed　a　poor　little　fellow　like　him；　body　and　soul。　She　asked　nothing　back。　She　didn't　know　he　could　make　her　any　return。　Bless　her！　bless　her！〃　he　screamed。　〃Oh；　how　cruel　I　have　been　to　her；　and　she　so　kind　to　me。　She　would　never　let　me　want；　if　I　took　her　fourteen　thousand　pounds。　Like　enough　give　me　a　thousand；　and　help　me　save　my　poor　soul；　that　I　shall　damn　if　I　meet　him　again。　I　won't　go　his　way　again。　Lead　us　not　into　temptation。　I　repent。　Lord　have　mercy　on　me　a　miserable　sinner。〃　And　tears　bedewed　those　wizened　cheeks；　tears　of　penitence；　sincere；　at　least　for　the　time。

A　sleepy　languor　now　came　over　him；　and　the　good　book　fell　from　his　hand；　but　his　resolution　remained　unshaken。　By…and…by　waking　up　from　a　sort　of　heavy　dose；　he　took；　as　it　were；　a　last　look　at　the　receipt；　and　murmured；　〃My　head；　how　heavy　it　feels。〃　But　presently　he　roused　himself；　full　of　his　penitent　resolution；　and　murmured　again　brokenly；　〃I'll…take　it　to…Pembroke　Street　to…morrow：　to…mor…row。〃



CHAPTER　LII

MR。　HARDIE　raised　the　money　on　his　scrip；　and　at　great　inconvenience；　for　he　was　holding　on　five　hundred　thousand　pounds'　worth　of　old　Turkish　Bonds　over　an　unfavourable　settling　day；　and　wanted　every　shilling　to　pay　his　broker。　If　they　did　not　rise　by　next　settling　day；　he　was　a　beggar。　However；　being　now　a　desperate　gamester；　and　throwing　for　his　last　stake；　he　borrowed　this　sum；　and　took　it　within　a　heavy　heart　to　his　appointment　with　Skinner。　Skinner　never　came。　Mr。　Hardie　waited　till　one　o'clock。　Two　o'clock。　No　Skinner。　Mr。　Hardie　went　home　hugging　his　five　hundred　pounds；　but　very　uneasy。　Next　day　he　consulted　Peggy。　She　shook　her　head；　and　said　it　looked　very　ugly。　Skinner　had　most　likely　got　angrier　and　angrier　with　thinking　on　the　assault。　〃You　will　never　see　him　again　till　the　day　of　the　trial：　and　then　he　will　go　down　and　bear　false　witness　against　you。　Why　not　leave　the　country？〃

〃How　can　I；　simpleton？　My　money　is　all　locked　up　in　the　bargains。　No；　I'm　tied；　tied　to　the　stake；　I'll　fight　to　the　last：　and；　if　I'm　defeated　and　disgraced；　I'll　die；　and　end　it。〃

Peggy　implored　him　not　to　talk　so。　〃I've　been　down　to　the　court；〃　said　she　softly；　〃to　see　what　it　is　like。　There's　a　great　hall；　and　he　must　pass　through　that　to　get　into　the　little　places　where　they　try　'em。　Let　me　be　in　that　hall　with　the　five　hundred　pounds；　and　I　promise　you　he　shall　never　appear　against　you。　We　will　both　go；　you　with　the　money；　I　with　my　woman's　tongue。〃

He　gave　her　his　hand　like　a　shaky　monarch；　and　said　she　had　more　wit　than　he　had。

Mr。　Heathfield；　who　had　contrived　to　postpone　Hardie　_v。_　Hardie　six　times　in　spite　of　Compton；　could　not　hurry　it　on　now　with　his　co…operation。　It　hung　fire　from　some　cause　or　another　a　good　fortnight：　and　in　this　fortnight　Hardie　senior　endured　the　tortures　of　suspense。　Skinner　made　no　sign。　At　last；　there　stood　upon　the　paper　for　next　day；　a　short　case　of　disputed　contract；　and　Hardie　_v。_　Hardie。

Now；　this　day；　I　must　premise；　was　to　settle　the　whole　lawsuit：　for　while　trial　of　the　issue　was　being　postponed　and　postponed；　the　legal　question　had　been　argued　and　disposed　of。　The　very　Queen's　counsel；　unfavourable　to　the　suit；　was　briefed　with　Garrow's　views；　and　delivered　them　in　court　with　more　skill；　clearness；　and　effect　than　Garrow　ever　could；　then　sat　down；　and　whispered　over　rather　contemptuously　to　Mr。　Compton；　〃That　is　your　argument；　I　think。〃

〃And　admirably　put；〃　whispered　the　attorney；　in　reply。

〃Well；　now　hear　Saunders　knock　it　to　pieces。〃

Instead　of　that；　it　was　Serjeant　Saunders　that　got　maltreated：　first　one　judge　had　a　peck　at　him：　then　another：　till　they　left　him　scarce　a　feather　to　fly　with；　and；　when　Alfred's　counsel　rose　to　reply；　the　judges　stopped　him；　and　the　chief　of　the　court；　Alfred's　postponing　enemy；　delivered　his　judgment　after　this　fashion：

〃We　are　all　of　opinion　that　this　plea　is　bad　in　law。　By　the　common　law　of　England　no　person　can　be　imprisoned　as　a　lunatic　unless　actually　insane　at　the　time。　It　has　been　held　so　for　centuries；　and　down　to　the　last　case。　And　wisely：　for　it　would　be　most　dangerous　to　the　liberty　of　the　subject；　if　a　man　could　be　imprisoned　without　remedy　unless　he　could　prove　_mala　fides_　in　the　breast　of　the　party　incarcerating　him。　As　for　the　statute；　it　does　not　mend　the　matter；　but　rather　the　reverse；　for　it　expressly　protects　duly　authorised　persons　acting　under　the　order　and　certificates；　and　this　must　be　construed　to　except　from　the　protection　of　the　statute　the　person　making　the　order。〃

The　three　puisne　judges　concurred　and　gave　similar　reasons。　One　of　them　said　that　if　A。　imprisoned　B。　for　a　_felon；_　and　B。　sued　him；　it　was　no　defence　to　say　that　B。；　in　his　opinion；　had　imitated　felony。　They　cited　Elliot　_v。_　Allen；　Anderdon　_v。_　Burrows；　and　Lord　Mansfield's　judgment　in　a　very　old　case；　the　name　of　which　I　have　unfortunately　forgotten。

Judgment　was　entered　for　the　plaintiff；　and　the　defendant's　ingenious　plea　struck　off　the　record；　and　Hardie　_v。_　Hardie　became　the　leading　case。　But　in　law　one　party　often　wins　the　skirmish　and　the　other　the　battle。　The　grand　fight；　as　I　have　already　said；　was　to　be　to…day。

But　the　high　hopes　and　ardour　with　which　the　young　lovers　had　once　come　into　court　were　now　worn　out　by　the　postponement　swindle；　and　the　adverse　events　delay　had　brought　on　them。　Alfred　was　not　there：　he　was　being　examined　in　the　schools；　and　had　plumply　refused　to　leave　a　tribunal　that　named　its　day　and　kept　itfor　Westminster；　until　his　counsel　should　have　actually　opened　the　case。　He　did　not　believe　trial　by　jury　would　ever　be　allowed　him。　Julia　was　there；　but　sad　and　comparatively　listless。　One　of　those　strange　vague　reports；　which　often　herald　more　circumstantial　accounts；　had　come　home；　whispering　darkly　that　her　father　was　dead；　and　buried　on　an　island　in　the　South　Sea。　She　had　kept　this　report　from　her　mother；　contrary　to　Edward's　wish：　but　she　implored　him　to　restrain　his　fatal　openness。　In　one　thing　both　these　sorely　tried　young　people　agreed；　that　there　could　be　n