hard cash-第149节

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　found　to　sign　the　certificates。　One　of　these　doctors　had　never　seen　him　but　for　five　minutes；　and　signed　in　manifest　collusion　with　the　other。　They　decoyed　this　poor　young　gentleman　away　on　his　wedding　morning　on　his　wedding　morning；　gentlemen；　mark　thatand　consigned　him　to　the　worst　of　all　dungeons。　What　he　suffered　there　he　must　himself　relate　to　you；　for　we；　who　have　the　happiness　to　walk　abroad　in　the　air　of　reason　and　liberty；　are　little　able　to　realise　the　agony　of　mind　endured　by　a　sane　man　confined　among　the　insane。　What　we　undertake　is　to　prove　his　sanity　up　to　the　very　hour　of　his　incarceration；　and　also　that　he　was　quite　sane　at　the　time　when　a　brutal　attempt　to　recapture　him　by　violence　was　made　under　the　defendant's　order；　and　defeated　by　his　own　remarkable　intelligence　and　courage。　Along　with　the　facts　the　true　reason　why　he　was　imprisoned　will　probably　come　out。　But　I　am　not　bound　to　prove　sinister　motives。　It　is　for　the　defendant　to　prove；　if　he　can；　that　he　had　lawful　motives　for　a　lawless　act；　and　that　he　exercised　due　precaution；　and　did　not　lend　himself　recklessly　to　the　dark　designs　of　others。　If　he　succeed　in　this；　that　may　go　in　mitigation　of　damages；　though　it　cannot　affect　the　verdict。　_Our_　principal　object　is　the　verdict；　which　will　remove　the　foul　aspersion　cast　on　my　injured　client；　and　restore　him　to　society。　And　to　this　verdict　we　are　entitled；　unless　the　other　side　can　prove　the　plaintiff　was　insane。　Call　Alfred　Hardie。

And　with　this　he　sat　down。

An　official　called　Alfred　Hardie　very　loud；　he　made　no　reply。　Julia　rose　from　her　seat　with　dismay　painted　on　her　countenance。　Compton's；　Garrow's；　and　Colt's　heads　clashed　together。

Mr。　Colt　jumped　up　again；　and　said；　〃My　Lud；　I　was　not　aware　the　gentleman　they　accuse　of　insanity　is　just　being　examined　for　high　honours　in　the　University　of　Oxford。〃　Aside　to　Compton；　〃And　if　he　doesn't　come　you　may　give　them　the　verdict。〃

〃Well；〃　said　the　judge；　〃of　course　he　will　be　here　before　you　close　your　case。〃

On　this　the　three　heads　clashed　again；　and　Serjeant　Saunders；　for　the　defendant；　popped　up　and　said　with　great　politeness；　and　affectation　of　sympathy；　〃My　Lud；　I　can　quite　understand　my　learned　friend's　hesitation　to　produce　his；　principal　witness。〃

〃You　understand　nothing　about　the　matter；〃　said　Colt　cavalierly。　〃Call　Mr。　Harrington。〃

Mr。　Harrington　was　Alfred's　tutor　at　Eton；　and　deposed　to　his　sanity　there；　he　was　not　cross…examined。　After　him　they　went　on　step　by　step　with　a　fresh　witness　for　every　six　months；　till　they　brought　him　close　to　the　date　of　his　incarceration；　then　they　put　in　one　of　Julia's　witnesses；　Peterson；　who　swore　Alfred　had　talked　to　him　like　a　sane　person　that　very　morning；　and　repeated　what　had　passed。　Cross…examination　only　elicited　that　he　and　Alfred　were　no　longer　good　friends；　which　rather　strengthened　the　evidence。　Then　Giles　and　Hannah；　now　man　and　wife；　were　called；　and　swore　he　was　sane　all　the　time　he　was　at　Silverton　House。　Mr。　Saunders　diminished　the　effect　by　eliciting　that　they　had　left　on　bad　terms　with　Mr。　Baker；　and　that　Alfred　had　given　them　money　since。　But　this　was　half　cured　on　re…examination；　by　being　set　down　to　gratitude　on　Alfred's　part。　And　now　the　judge　went　to　luncheon；　and　in　came　a　telegraphic　message　to　say　Alfred　was　in　the　fast　train　coming　up。　This　was　good　news　and　bad。　They　had　hoped　he　would　drop　in　before。　They　were　approaching　that　period　of　the　case；　when　not　to　call　the　plaintiff　must　produce　a　vile　impression。　The　judgeout　of　good　nature；　I　suspectwas　longer　at　luncheon　than　usual；　and　every　minute　was　so　much　gained　to　Mr。　Compton　and　Julia；　who　were　in　a　miserable　state　of　anxiety。　Yet　it　was　equalled　by　Richard　Hardie's；　who　never　entered　the　court　but　paced　the　hall　the　livelong　day　to　intercept　Noah　Skinner。　And；　when　I　tell　you　that　Julia　had　consulted　Mr。　Green；　and　that　he　had　instantly　pronounced　Mr。　Barkington　to　be　a　man　from　Barkington　who　knew　the　truth　about　the　fourteen　thousand　pounds；　and　that　the　said　Green　and　his　myrmidons　were　hunting　Mr。　Barkington　like　beagles；　you　will　see　that　R。　Hardie's　was　no　vain　terror。　At　last　the　judge　returned；　and　Mr。　Colt　was　obliged　to　put　in　his　reserves；　so　called　Dr。　Sampson。　Instantly　a　very　dull　trial　became　an　amusing　one；　the　scorn　with　which　he　treated　the　opinion　of　Dr。　Wycherley　and　Mr。　Speers；　and　medical　certificates　in　general；　was　so　droll　coming　from　a　doctor；　and　so　racily　expressed；　that　the　court　was　convulsed。　Also　in　cross…examination　by　Saunders　he　sparred　away　in　such　gallant　style　with　that　accomplished　advocate　that　it　was　mighty　refreshing。　The　judge　put　in　a　few　intelligent　questions　after　counsel　had　done；　and　surprised　all　the　doctors　in　court　with　these　words：　〃I　am　aware；　sir；　that　you　were　the　main　instrument　in　putting　down　bloodletting　in　this　country。〃

What　made　Sampson's　evidence　particularly　strong　was　that　he　had　seen　the　plaintiff　the　evening　before　his　imprisonment。

At　this　moment　three　men；　all　of　them　known　to　the　reader；　entered　the　court；　one　was　our　old　acquaintance　Fullalove；　another　was　of　course　Vespasian；　and　the　third　was　the　missing　plaintiff。

A　buzz　announced　his　arrival；　and　expectation　rose　high。　Mr。　Colt　called　him　with　admirably　feigned　nonchalance；　he　stepped　into　the　box；　and　there　was　a　murmur　of　surprise　and　admiration　at　his　bright　countenance　and　manly　bearing。

Of　course　to　give　his　evidence　would　be　to　write　〃Hard　Cash〃　over　again。　It　is　enough　to　say　that　his　examination　in　chief　lasted　all　that　day；　and　an　hour　of　the　next。

Colt　took　him　into　the　asylum；　and　made　him　say　what　he　had　suffered　there　to　swell　the　damages。　The　main　points　his　examination　in　chief　established　were　his　sanity　during　his　whole　life；　the　money　settled　on　him；　the　means　the　doctors　took　to　irritate　him；　and　then　sign　him　excited；　the　subserviency　of　his　uncle　to　his　father；　the　double　motive　his　father　had　in　getting　him　imprisoned；　the　business　of　the　L。　14；000。

When　Colt　sat　down　at　eleven　o'clock　on　the　second　day；　the　jury　looked　indignant；　and　the　judge　looked　very　grave；　and　the　case　very　black。

Mr。　Saunders　electrified　his　attorney　by　saying；　〃My　advice　is；　don't　cross…examine　him。〃

Heathfield　implored　him　not　to　take　so　strange　a　course。

On　this　Saunders　shrugged　his　shoulders；　rose；　and　cross…examined　Alfred　about　the　vision　of　one　Captain　Dodd　he　had　seen；　and　about　his　suspicions　of　his　father。　〃Had　not　Richard　Hardie　always　been　a　kind　and　liberal　father？〃　To　this　he　assented。　〃Had　he　not　sacrificed　a　large　fortune　to　his　creditors？〃　Plaintiff　believed　so。　〃On　reflection；　then；　did　not　plaintiff　think　he　must　have　been　under　an　illusion？〃　No；　he　had　gone　by　direct　evidence。

Confining　himself　sagaciously　to　this　one　question；　and　exerting　all　his　skill　and　pertinacity；　Saunders　succeeded　in　convincing　the　court　that　the　Hard　Cash　was　a　myth：　a　pure　chimera。　The　defendant's　case　looked　up；　for　there　are　many　intelligent　madmen　with　a　single　illusion。

The　re…examination　was　of　course　very　short；　but　telling；　for　Alfred　swore　that　Miss　Julia　Dodd　had　helped　him　to　carry　home　the　phantom　of　her　father；　and　that　Miss　Dodd　had　a　letter　from　her　father　to　say　that　he　was　about　to　sail　with　the　other　phantom；　the　L。　14；000。

Here　Mr。　Saunders　interposed；　and　said　that　evidence　was　inadmissible。　Let　him　call　Miss　Dodd。

_Colt。_How　do　you　know　I'm　not　going　to　call　her？

_The　Judge。_　If　you　are；　it　is　superfluous；　if　not；　it　is　inadmissible。

Mr。　Compton　cast　an　inquiring　glance　up　at　a　certain　gallery。　A　beautiful　girl　bowed　her　head　in　reply；　with　a　warm　blush　and　such　a　flash　of　her　eye；　and　Mr。　Colt　said；　〃As　my　learned　friend　was　afraid　to　cross…examine　the　plaintiff　on　any　point　but　this；　and　as　I　mean　to　respond　to　his　challenge；　and　call　Miss　Dodd；　I　will　not　trouble　the　plaintiff　any　further。〃

Through　the　whole　ordeal　Alfred　showed　a　certain　flavour　of　Eton　and　Oxford　that　won　all　hearts。　His　replies　were　frank　and　honest；　and　under　cross…examination　he　was　no　more　to　be　irritated　than　if　Saunders　had　been　Harrow　bowling　at　him；　or　the　Robin　sparring　with　him。　The　serjeant；　who　was　a　gentleman；　indicated　some　little　regret　at　the　possible　annoyance　he　was　causing　him。　Alfred　replied　with　a　grand　air　of　good　fellowship；　〃Do　not　think　so　poorly　of　me　as　to　suppose　I　feel　aggrieved　because　you　are　an　able　advocate　and　do　your　duty　to　your　client；　sir。〃

_The　Judge。_That　is　very　handsomely　said。　I　am　afraid　you　have　got　an　awkward　customer；　in　a　case　of　this　kind；　Brother　Saunders。

_Serjt。　S。_It　is　not　for　want　of　brains　he　is　mad；　my　lord。

_Alfred。_That　is　a　comfort；　any　way。　（Laughter。）

When　counsel　had　done　with　him；　the　judge　used　his　right；　and　put　several　shrewd　and　unusual　questions　to　him：　asked　him　to　define　insanity。　He　said　he　could　only　do　it　by　examples：　and　he　abridged　several　intelligent　madmen；　their　words　and　ways；　and　contrasted　them　with　the　five　or　six　sane　people　he　had　fallen　in　with　in　asylums；　showing　his　lordship　plainly　that　_he_　could　tell　any　insane　person　whatever　from　a　sane　one；　and　_vice　versa。_　This　was　the　most　remarkable　part　of　the　trial；　to　see　this　shrewd　old　judge　extracting　from　a　real　observ