hard cash-第175章

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The　cross…examination　proceeded　in　this　style　till　the　defendant　began　to　drivel　at　the　mouth　a　little。　At　last；　after　a　struggle；　he　said；　with　a　piteous　whine；　that　he　could　not　help　it：　he　hated　signing　his　name；　some　mischief　always　came　of　it；　but　this　time　he　had　no　option。

〃No　option？〃　said　Colt。　〃What　do　you　mean？〃

And　with　one　or　two　more　turns　of　the　screw；　out　came　this　astounding　revelation：

〃Richard　said　if　I　didn't　put　Taff　in　one；　_he_　would　put　_me_　in　one。〃

_The　Judge。_In　one　what？

_Deft。_　（weeping）。In　one　madhouse；　my　lord。

A　peal　followed　this　announcement；　and　Colt　sat　down　grinning。　Saunders　rose　smiling。　〃I　am　much　obliged　to　the　learned　counsel　for　making　my　case；〃　said　he：　〃I　need　not　prolong　the　sufferings　of　the　innocent。　You　can　go　down；　Mr。　Hardie。〃

_The　Judge。_Have　you　any　defence　to　this　action？

〃Certainly；　my　lord。〃

〃Do　you　call　Richard　Hardie？〃

〃No；　my　lord。〃

〃Then　had　you　not　better　confine　yourself　to　the　question　of　damages？〃

The　sturdy　Saunders　would　not　take　the　hint；　he　replied　upon　the　whole　case；　and　fought　hard　for　a　verdict。　The　line　he　took　was　bold；　he　described　Richard　Hardie　as　a　man　who　had　acquired　a　complete　power　over　his　weaker　brother：　and　had　not　only　persuaded　him　by　statements；　but　even　compelled　him　by　threats；　to　do　what　he　believed　would　be　the　salvation　of　his　nephew。　〃Will　you　imitate　the　learned　counsel's　cruelty？　Will　you　strike　a　child？〃　In　short；　he　made　a　powerful　appeal　to　their　pity；　while　pretending　to　address　their　judgments。

Then　Colt　rose　like　a　tower；　and　assuming　the　verdict　as　certain；　asked　the　jury　for　heavy　damages。　He　contrasted　powerfully　the　defendant's　paltry　claim　to　pity　with　the　anguish　the　plaintiff　had　undergone。　He　drew　the　wedding　party；　the　insult　to　the　bride；　the　despair　of　the　kidnapped　bridegroom；　he　lashed　the　whole　gang　of　conspirators　concerned　in　the　crime；　regretted　that　they　could　only　make　one　of　all　these　villains　smart；　but　hinted　that　Richard　and　Thomas　Hardie　were　in　one　boat；　and　that　heavy　damages　inflicted　on　Thomas　would　find　the　darker　culprit　out。　He　rapped　out　Mr。　Cowper's　lines　on　liberty；　and　they　were　new　to　the　jury；　though　probably　not　to　you；　he　warned　the　jury　that　all　our　liberties　depended　on　them。　〃In　vain；〃　said　he；　〃have　we　beheaded　one　tyrant；　and　banished　another；　to　secure　those　liberties；　if　men　are　to　be　allowed　to　send　away　their　own　flesh　and　blood　into　the　worst　of　all　prisons　for　life　and　not　smart　for　it；　in　those　lamentably　few　cases　in　which　the　law　finds　them　out　and　lays　hold　of　them。〃　But　it　would　task　my　abilities　to　the　utmost；　and　occupy　more　time　than　is　left　me；　to　do　anything　like　justice　to　the　fluent　fiery　eloquence　of　Colt；　Q。　C。；　when　he　got　a　great　chance　like　this。　_Tonat；　fulgurat；　et　rapidis　eloquentiae　fluctibus　cuncia　proruit　et　proturbat。_　Bursts　of　applause；　that　neither　crier　nor　judge　could　suppress；　bore　witness　to　the　deep　indignation　Britons　feel　when　their　hard…earned　liberties　are　tampered　with　by　power　or　fraud；　in　defiance　of　law；　and；　when　he　sat　down；　the　jury　were　ready　to　fly　out　at　him　with　L。　5000　in　hand。

Then　rose　the　passionless　voice　of　〃justice　according　to　law。〃　I　wish　I　could　give　the　very　words。　The　following　is　the　effect　as　_I_　understood　it。　Lawyers；　forgive　my　deficiencies。

〃This　is　an　important；　but　not　a　difficult　case。　The　plaintiff　sues　the　defendant　under　_the　law　of　England_　for　falsely　imprisoning　him　in　a　madhouse。　The　imprisonment　is　admitted；　and　the　sufferings　of　the　plaintiff　not　disputed。　The　question　is；　whether　he　was　insane　at　the　time　of　the　act？　Now；　I　must　tell　you；　that　in　a　case　of　this　kind；　it　lies　upon　the　defendant　to　prove　the　plaintiff's　insanity；　rather　than　on　the　plaintiff　to　prove　his　own　sanity。　Has　the　defendant　overcome　this　difficulty？　Illusion　is　the　best　proof　of　insanity；　and　a　serious　endeavour　was　certainly　made　to　fasten　an　illusion　on　the　plaintiff　about　a　sum　of　L。　14；000。　But　the　proof　was　weak；　and　went　partly　on　an　assumption　that　all　error　is　hallucination；　this　is　illusory；　and　would；　if　acted　on；　set　one　half　the　kingdom　imprisoning　the　other　half；　and　after　all；　they　did　not　demonstrate　that　the　plaintiff　was　_in　error。_　They　advanced　no　_undeniable　proof_　that　Mr。　Richard　Hardie　has　not　embezzled　this　L。　14；000。　I　don't　say　it　was　proved　on　the　other　hand　that　he　did　embezzle　that　sum。　Richard　Hardie　sueing　Alfred　Hardie　for　libel　on　this　evidence　might　possibly　obtain　a　verdict；　for　then　the　burden　of　proof　would　lie　on　Alfred　Hardie；　but　here　it　lies　on　those　who　say　he　is　insane。　The　fact　appears　to　be　that　the　plaintiff　imbibed　a　reasonable　suspicion　of　his　own　father's　integrity；　it　was　a　suspicion　founded　on　evidence；　imperfect；　indeed；　but　of　a　sound　character　as　far　as　it　went。　There　had　been　a　letter　from　Captain　Dodd　to　his　family；　announcing　his　return　with　L。　14；000　upon　him；　and；　while　as　yet　unaware　of　this　letter；　the　plaintiff　heard　David　Dodd　accuse　Richard　Hardie　of　possessing　improperly　L。　14；000；　the　identical　sum。　At　least；　he　swears　to　this；　and　as　Richard　Hardie　was　not　called　to　contradict　him；　you　are　at　liberty　to　suppose　that　Richard　Hardie　had　some　difficulty　in　contradicting　him　on　oath。　Here；　then；　true　or　false；　was　a　rational　suspicion；　and　every　man　has　a　right　to　a　rational　suspicion　of　his　neighbour；　and　even　to　utter　it　within　due　limits；　and；　if　he　overstep　those；　the　party　slandered　has　his　legal　remedy；　but　if　he　omits　his　legal　remedy；　and　makes　an　attempt　of　doubtful　legality　not　to　confute；　but　to　stifle；　the　voice　of　reasonable　suspicion；　shrewd　men　will　suspect　all　the　more。　But　then　comes　a　distinct　and　respectable　kind　of　evidence　for　the　defendant；　he　urges　that　the　plaintiff　was　going　to　sign　away　his　property　to　his　wife's　relations。　Now；　this　was　proved；　and　a　draft　of　the　deed　put　in　and　sworn　to。　This　taken　singly　has　a　very　extraordinary　look。　Still；　you　must　consider　the　plaintiff's　reasonable　suspicion　that　money　belonging　to　the　Dodds　had　passed　irregularly　to　the　Hardies；　and　then　the　wonder　is　diminished。　Young　and　noble　minds　have　in　every　age　done　generous；　self…denying；　and　delicate　acts。　The　older　we　get；　the　less　likely　we　are　to　be　incarcerated　for　a　crime　of　this　character；　but　we　are　not　to　imprison　youth　and　chivalry　merely　because　we　have　outgrown　them。　To　go　from　particulars　to　generals；　the　defendant；　on　whom　the　proof　lies；　has　advanced　hearsay　and　conjecture；　and　not　put　their　originators　into　the　box。　The　plaintiff；　on　whom　the　proof　does　not　lie；　has　advanced　abundant　evidence　that　he　was　sane　at　the　time　of　his　incarceration：　this　was　proved　to　demonstration　by　friends；　strangers；　and　by　himself。〃　Here　the　judge　analysed　the　testimony　of　several　of　the　plaintiff's　witnesses。

〃As　to　the　parties　themselves；　it　is　curious　how　they　impersonated；　so　to　speak；　their　respective　lines　of　argument。　The　representative　of　evidence　and　sound　reasoning；　though　accused　of　insanity；　was　precise；　frank；　rational　and　dignified　in　the　witness…box；　and　I　think　you　must　have　noticed　his　good　temper。　The　party；　who　relied　on　hearsay　and　conjecture；　was　as　feeble　as　they　are；　he　was　almost　imbecile；　as　you　observed；　and；　looking　at　both　parties；　it　really　seems　monstrous　that　the　plaintiff　should　be　the　one　confined　as　a　lunatic；　and　the　defendant　allowed　to　run　wild　and　lock　up　his　intellectual　superiors。　If　he　means　to　lock　them　_all_　up；　even　you　and　I　are　hardly　safe。　（Laughter。）　The　only　serious　question；　I　apprehend；　is　on　what　basis　the　damages　ought　to　be　assessed。　The　plaintiffs　counsel　has　made　a　powerful　appeal　to　your　passions；　and　calls　for　vengeance。　Now　I　must　tell　you；　you　have　no　right　to　make　yourselves　ministers　of　vengeance；　nor　even　to　punish　the　defendant；　in　a　suit　of　the　kind：　still　less　ought　you　to　strike　the　defendant　harder　than　you　otherwise　wouldin　the　vague　hope　of　punishing　indirectly　the　true　mover　of　the　defendant　and　the　other　puppets。　I　must　warn　you　against　that　suggestion　of　the　learned　counsel's。　If　the　plaintiff　wants　vengeance；　the　criminal　law　offers　it。　He　comes　here；　not　for　vengeance；　but　for　compensation；　and　restoration　to　that　society　which　he　is　every　way　fi