hard cash-第171章

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　mad；　and　were　pale　when　thwarted　in　love；　without　going　mad：　and　that　as　to　the　L。　14；000　and　the　phantom；　he　_knew_　nothing；　but　had　taken　all　that　for　granted　on　Mr。　Richard　Hardie's　word。

Dr。　Wycherley　deposed　to　Alfred's　being　insane　and　abnormally　irritable；　and　under　a　pecuniary　illusion；　as　stated　in　his　certificate：　and　to　his　own　vast　experience。　But　the　fire　of　cross…examination　melted　all　his　polysyllables　into　guesswork　and　hearsay。　It　melted　out　of　him　that　he；　a　stranger；　had　intruded　on　the　young　man's　privacy；　and　had　burst　into　a　most　delicate　topic；　his　disagreement　with　his　father；　and　so　had　himself　created　the　very　irritation　he　had　set　down　to　madness。　He　also　had　to　admit　that　he　knew　nothing　about　the　L。　14；000　or　the　phantom；　but　had　taken　for　granted　the　young　man's　own　father；　who　consulted　him；　was　not　telling　him　a　deliberate　and　wicked　falsehood。

_Colt。_In　short；　sir；　you　were　retained　to　make　the　man　out　insane；　just　as　my　learned　friend　there　is　retained。

_Wycherley。_I　think；　sir；　it　would　not　be　consistent　with　the　dignity　of　my　profession　to　notice　that　comparison。

_Colt。_I　leave　defendant's　counsel　to　thank　you　for　that。　Come；　never　mind　_dignity；_　let　us　have　a　little　_truth。_　Is　it　consistent　with　your　dignity　to　tell　us　whether　the　keepers　of　private　asylums　pay　you　a　commission　for　all　the　patients　you　consign　to　durance　vile　by　your　certificates？

Dr。　Wycherley　fenced　with　this　question；　but　the　remorseless　Colt　only　kept　him　longer　under　torture；　and　dragged　out　of　him　that　he　received　fifteen　per　cent。　from　the　asylum　keepers　for　every　patient　he　wrote　insane；　and　that　he　had　an　income　of　eight　hundred　pounds　a　year　from　that　source　alone。　This；　of　course；　was　the　very　thing　to　prejudice　a　jury　against　the　defence：　and　Colt's　art　was　to　keep　to　their　level。

Speers；　cross…examined；　failed　to　conceal　that　he　was　a　mere　tool　of　Wycherley's；　and　had　signed　in　manifest　collusion；　adhering　to　the　letter　of　the　statute；　but　violating　its　spirit　for　certainly；　the　Act　never　intended　by　〃separate　examination；〃　that　two　doctors　should　come　into　the　passage；　and　walk　into　the　room　alternately；　then　reunite；　and　do　the　signing　as　agreed　before　they　ever　saw　the　patient。　As　to　the　illusion　about　the　fourteen　thousand　pounds；　Speers　owned　that　the　plaintiff　had　not　uttered　a　word　about　the　subject；　but　had　peremptorily　declined　it。　He　had　to　confess；　too；　that　he　had　taken　for　granted　Dr。　Wycherley　was　correctly　informed　about　the　said　illusion。

〃In　short；〃　said　the　judge；　interposing；　〃Dr。　Wycherley　took　the　very　thing　for　granted　which　it　was　his　duty　to　ascertain；　and　you；　sir；　not　to　be　behind　Dr。　Wycherley；　took　the　thing　for　granted　at　second　hand。〃　And　when　Speers　had　left　the　box；　he　said　to　Serjeant　Saunders；　〃If　this　case　is　to　be　defended　seriously；　you　had　better　call　Mr。　Richard　Hardie　without　further　delay。〃

〃It　is　my　wish；　my　lud；　but　I　am　sorry　to　say　he　is　in　the　country　very　ill；　and　I　have　no　hope　of　seeing　him　here　before　to…morrow。〃

〃Oh；　well；　so　that　you　_do_　call　him。　I　shall　not　lay　hearsay　before　the　jury：　hearsay　gathered　from　Mr。　Richard　Hardiewhom　you　will　call　in　person　if　the　reports　he　has　circulated　have　any　basis　whatever　in　truth。〃

Mr。　Saunders　said　coolly；　〃Mr。　Richard　Hardie　is　not　the　defendant；〃　and　flowed　on；　nor　would　any　but　a　lawyer　have　suspected　what　a　terrible　stab　the　judge　had　given　him　so　quietly。

The　surgeon　of　Silverton　House　was　then　sworn；　and　produced　the　case　book；　and　there　stood　the　entries　which　had　been　so　fatal　to　Alfred　with　the　visiting　justices。　Suicide；　homicide；　self…starvation。　But　the　plaintiff　got　to　Mr。　Colt　with　a　piece　of　paper；　on　which　he　had　written　his　view　of　all　this；　and　cross…examination　dissolved　the　suicide　and　homicide　into　a　spirited　attempt　to　escape　and　resist　a　false　imprisonment　As　for　the　self…starvation；　Colt　elicited　that　Alfred　had　eaten　at　six　o'clock　though　not　at　two。　〃And　pray；　sir；〃　said　he；　contemptuously；　to　the　witness；　〃do　you　never　stir　out　of　a　madhouse？　Do　you　imagine　that　gentlemen　in　their　senses　dine　at　two　o'clock　in　the　nineteenth　century？〃

〃No。　I　don't　say　that。〃

〃What　_do_　you　say；　then？　Is　forcible　imprisonment　of　a　bridegroom　in　a　madhouse　the　thing　to　give　a　_gentleman_　a　_factitious_　appetite　at　_your_　barbarous　dinner…hour？〃

In　a　word；　Colt　was　rough　with　this　witness；　and　nearly　smashed　him。　Saunders　fought　gallantly　on；　and　put　in　Lawyer　Crawford　with　his　draft　of　the　insane　deed；　as　he　called　it；　by　which　the　erotic　monomaniac　Alfred　divested　himself　of　all　his　money　in　favour　of　the　Dodds。　There　was　no　dissolving　this　deed　away；　and　Crawford　swore　he　had　entreated　the　plaintiff　not　to　insist　on　his　drawing　so　unheard…of　a　document；　but　opposition　or　question　seemed　to　irritate　his　client；　so　that　he　had　complied；　and　the　deed　was　to　have　been　signed　on　the　wedding…day。

All　the　lawyers　present　thought　this　looked　really　mad。　Fancy　a　man　signing　away　his　property　to　his　wife's　relatives！！　The　court；　which　had　already　sat　long　beyond　the　usual　time；　broke　up；　leaving　the　defendant　with　this　advantage。　Alfred　Hardie　and　his　friends　made　a　little　knot　in　the　hall　outside；　and　talked　excitedly　over　the　incidents　of　the　trial。　Mr。　Compton　introduced　Fullalove　and　Vespasian。　They　all　shook　hands　with　them；　and　thanked　them　warmly　for　the　timely　and　most　unexpected　aid。　But　Green　and　a　myrmidon　broke　in　upon　their　conversation。　〃I　am　down　on　Mr。　Barkington　_alias_　Noah　Skinner。　It　isn't　very　far　from　here；　if　you　will　follow　me。〃　Green　was　as　excited　as　a　foxhound　when　Pug　has　begun　to　trail　his　brush：　the　more　so　that　another　client　of　his　wanted　Noah　Skinner；　and　so　the　detective　was　doing　a　double　stroke　of　business。　He　led　the　way；　it　was　dry；　and　they　all　went　in　pairs　after　him　into　the　back　slums　of　Westminster；　and　a　pretty　part　that　is。

Now　as　they　went　along　Alfred　hung　behind　with　Julia；　and　asked　her　what　on　earth　she　meant　by　swearing　that　it　was　all　over　between　her　and　him。　〃Why　your　last　letter　was　full　of　love；　dearest；　what　could　you　be　thinking　of　to　say　that？〃

She　shook　her　head　sadly；　and　revealed　to　him　with　many　prayers　for　forgiveness　that　she　had　been　playing　a　part　of　late：　that　she　had　concealed　her　father's　death　from　him；　and　the　fatal　barrier　interposed。

〃I　was　afraid　you　would　be　disheartened；　and　lose　your　first　class　and　perhaps　your　trial。　But　you　are　safe　now；　dear　Alfred；　I　am　sure　the　judge　sees　through　them；　for　I　have　studied　him　for　you。　I　know　his　face　by　heart；　and　all　his　looks　and　what　they　mean。　My　Alfred　will　be　cleared　of　this　wicked　slander；　and　happy　with　some　oneAh！〃

〃Yes；　I　mean　to　be　happy　with　some　one；〃　said　Alfred。　〃I　am　not　one　of　your　self…sacrificing　angels；　thank　Heaven！　Your　shall　not　sacrifice　us　to　your　mother's　injustice　nor　to　the　caprices　of　fate。　We　have　one　another；　but　you　would　immolate　me　for　the　pleasure　of　immolating　yourself。　Don't　provoke　me　too　far；　or　I'll　carry　you　off　by　force。　I　swear　it；　by　Him　who　made　us　both。〃

〃Dearest；　how　wildly　you　talk。〃　And　with　this　Julia　hung　her　head；　and　had　a　guilty　thrill。　She　could　not　help　thinking　that　eccentric　little　measure　would　relieve　her　of　the　sin　of　disobedience。

After　making　known　to　her　his　desperate　resolution；　Alfred　was　silent；　and　they　went　sadly　side　by　side；　so　dear；　so　near；　yet　always　some　infernal　thing　or　other　coming　between　them。　They　reached　a　passage　in　a　miserable　street。　At　the　mouth　stood　two　of　Green's　men；　planted　there　to　follow　Skinner　should　he　go　out：　but　they　reported　all　quiet。　〃Bring　the　old　gentleman　up；〃　said　Green。　〃I　appointed　him　six　o'clock；　and　it's　on　the　stroke。〃　He　then　descended　the　passage；　and　striking　a　light　led　the　way　up　a　high　stair。　Skinner　lived　on　the　fifth　story。　Green　tapped　at　his　door。　〃Mr。　Barkington。〃

No　reply。

〃Mr。　Barkington；　I've　brought　you　some　money。〃

No　reply。

〃Perhaps　he　is　not　at　home；〃　said　Mr。　Compton。

〃Oh；　yes；　sir；　I　sent　a　sharp　boy　up；　and　he　picked　the　paper　out　of　the　keyhole　and　saw　him　sitting　reading。〃

He　then　applied　his　own　eye　to　the　keyhole。　〃I　see　something　black；〃　said　he；　〃I　think　he　suspects。〃

While　he　hesitated；　th