elinor wyllys-2-第47节

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n　of　the　inheritance；　which　was　his　by　the　threefold　title　of　nature；　of　law；　and　of　parental　bequest；　he　was　a　mere　boy；　a　minor；　a　wanderer　on　the　deep；　one　of　that　gallant　class　of　men　who　carry　the　glorious　colours　of　our　great　and　happy　country　into　every　port；　who　whiten　every　sea　with　American　canvasshe　was　a　roving　sailor…boy！〃

And　setting　out　from　this　point；　Mr。　Clapp　made　a　general　statement　of　the　case；　coloured　by　all　the　cheap　ornaments　of　forensic　eloquence；　and　varied　by　allusions　to　the　glory　of　the　country；　the　learning　of　all　judges；　particularly　American　judges；　especially　the　judges　then　on　the　bench；　the　wisdom　of　all　juries；　particularly　American　juries；　especially　the　jury　then　in　the　box。　He　confessed　that　his　client　had　been　guilty　of　folly　in　his　boyhood；　〃but　no　one；　gentlemen；　can　regret　past　misconduct　more　than　Mr。　Stanley；　no　son　ever　felt　more　deeply　than　himself；　regret；　that　he　could　not　have　attended　the　death…bed　of　his　father；　received　his　last　blessing；　and　closed　his　eyes　for　the　last　time！〃　Mr。　Clapp　then　read　parts　of　Mr。　Stanley's　will；　gave　an　outline　of　his　client's　wanderings；　and　was　very　particular　with　names　and　dates。　The　sailor's　return　was　then　described　in　the　most　pathetic　colours。　〃He　brought　with　him；　gentlemen；　nothing　but　the　humble　contents　of　a　sailor's　chest；　the　hard…earned　wages　of　his　daily　toil；　he；　who　in　justice　was　the　owner　of　as　rich　a　domain　as　any　in　the　land！〃　The　attempts　of　this　poor　sailor　to　obtain　his　rights　were　then　represented。　〃He　learned　the　bitter　truth；　gentlemen；　that　a　poor　seaman；　a　foremast　hand；　with　a　tarpaulin　hat　and　round…jacket；　stood　little　chance　of　being　heard；　as　the　accuser　of　the　rich　and　the　powerfulthe　men　who　walked　abroad　in　polished　beavers；　and　aristocratic　broad…cloths。〃　Aristocracy　having　once　been　brought　upon　the　scene；　was　made　to　figure　largely　in　several　sentences；　and　was　very　roughly　handled　indeed。　To　have　heard　Mr。　Clapp；　one　would　have　supposed　aristocracy　was　the　most　sinful　propensity　to　which　human　nature　was　liable；　the　only　very　criminal　quality　to　which　republican　nature　might　he　inclined。　Of　course　the　defendants　were　accused　of　this　heinous　sin；　this　brilliant　passage　concluded　with　a　direct　allusion　to　the　〃very　aristocratic　trio　before　him。〃　Mr。　Stanley　was　declared　to　be　no　aristocrat；　he　was　pronounced　thoroughly　plebeian　in　all　his　actions　and　habits。　〃Like　the　individual　who　has　now　the　honour　of　addressing　you；　gentlemen；　Mr。　Stanley　is　entirely　free；　in　all　his　habits　and　opinions；　from　the　hateful　stain　of　aristocracy。〃　He　continued；　following　his　client's　steps　down　to　the　present　time；　much　as　they　are　already　known　to　the　reader。　Then；　making　a　sudden　change；　he　reviewed　the　conduct　of　the　defendants　as　connected　with　his　client。

｛〃Aristocracy〃　=　Susan　Fenimore　Cooper　was　very　familiar　with　court　proceedings　in　the　1840s。　Her　father　was　at　this　time　involved　in　a　series　of　generally　successful　libel　suits　against　newspapers；　which　defended　themselves　by　accusing　him　of　being　〃aristocratic；〃　a　sore　point；　as　he　had　repeatedly　denounced　aristocracy　as　the　worst　of　all　forms　of　government｝

〃What　were　their　first　steps　at　the　death　of　Mr。　Stanley；　the　father？　Merely　those　which　were　absolutely　necessary　to　secure　themselves；　they　inquired　for　the　absent　son；　but　they　inquired　feebly；　had　they　　waited　with　greater　patience　he　would　have　appeared；　for　the　story　of　his　disinheritance　would　never　have　reached　him。　Whence　did　that　story　proceed　from？　It　is　not　for　me　to　say；　others　now　present　may　be　able　to　account　for　it　more　readily。　No；　gentlemen；　it　is　a　bitter　truth；　that　the　conduct　of　the　executors　has　been　consistent　throughout；　from　the　moment　they　first　took　possession　of　the　Stanley　estate；　until　their　appearance　in　this　court；　the　conduct　of　the　rival　legatee　has　also　been　marked　by　the　same　consistent　spirit　of　opposition；　from　the　time　of　his　first　interview　with　Mr。　Stanley；　after　he　had　arrived　at　years　of　discretion；　and　knew　the　value　of　the　estate　he　hoped　to　enjoy；　from　the　moment；　I　say；　when　he　coolly　ordered　the　unfortunate　sailor　to　be　locked　up　in　Mr。　Wyllys's　smoke…house；　until　the　present　instant；　when　his　only　hope　lies　in　denying　the　identity　of　Mr。　Stanley's　son。〃　Mr。　Clapp　dwelt　for　some　time　upon　this　first　interview；　and　the　smoke…house；　as　he　had　previously　hinted　to　Hazlehurst；　he　laboured　to　make　that　affair　〃look　ugly；〃　to　the　best　of　his　ability。　If　the　language　of　the　Longbridge　lawyer　had　been　respectful　throughout　the　preliminary　proceedings；　his　tune　in　the　court…room　changed　completely。　As　he　drew　towards　the　close　of　his　speech；　he　gave　full　scope　to　a　burst　of　virtuous　indignation　against　wickedness　and　hypocrisy　in　general；　and　particularly　against　the　conduct　of　the　defendants。　He　declared　himself　forced　to　believe；　that　both　Mr。　Wyllys　and　Hazlehurst　had　suspected　the　existence　of　William　Stanley　from　the　firstothers　might　have　the　charity　to　believe　they　had　been　ignorant　of　the　young　man's　existence；　he　only　wished　he　could　still　believe　such　to　have　been　the　facthe　had　believed　them　honestly　ignorant　of　it；　until　it　was　no　longer　possible　for　the　prejudices　of　a　long…standing　friendship　and　intimacy　to　blind　his　eyes；　under　the　flood　of　light　presented　by　proofs　as　clear　as　dayproofs　which　his　respected　brother；　the　senior　counsel；　and　himself；　were　about　to　lay　before　the　court。　He　wished　to　be　understood；　however；　he　never　for　one　moment　had　included　in　these　suspicionsso　painful　to　every　candid；　upright　mind；　but　which　had　recently　forced　themselves　upon　himhe　repeated；　that　in　them　he　had　never　included　the　respected　lady　who　filled　the　place　of　step…mother　to　his　client；　whose　representative　he　now　saw　before　him；　in　the　person　of　a　highly　distinguished　lawyer　of　the　Philadelphia　bar；　he　did　not　suppose　that　that　venerable　matron　had　ever　doubted　the　death　of　her　husband's　son。　He　knew　that　excellent　lady；　had　often　met　her　in　the　social　circle；　none　admired　more　than　he；　the　virtues　for　which　she　was　distinguished；　he　had　never　supposed　it　possible；　that　if　aware　of　the　existence　of　William　Stanley；　she　could　have　sat　down　calmly　to　enjoy　his　inheritance。　Such　a　case　of　turpitude　might　not　be　without　example；　but　he　confessed　that　in　his　eyes；　it　would　amount　to　guilt　of　so　black　a　dye；　that　he　was　unwilling　to　accuse　human　nature　of　such　depravity；　it　went　beyond　the　powers　of　his；　Mr。　Clapp's；　imagination　to　comprehend。　No；　he　acquitted　Mrs。　Stanley　of　all　blame；　she　had　been　influenced　and　guided　by　the　two　gentlemen　before　him。　He　had　himself　observed；　that　during　all　the　preliminary　proceedings；　the　venerable　step…mother　of　his　client　had　shown　many　symptoms　of　doubt　and　hesitation；　it　was　his　firm　conviction；　it　was　the　opinion　of　his　client；　of　his　brother　counsel；　that　if　left　to　her　own　unbiassed　judgment；　Mrs。　Stanley　would　immediately　have　acknowledged　her　husband's　son；　and　received　him　as　such。　He　appealed　to　the　defendants　themselves　if　this　were　not　true；　he　called　upon　them　to　deny　this　assertion　if　they　couldif　they　dared！　Here　Mr。　Clapp　paused　a　moment；　and　looked　towards　Mr。　Grant。

The　defendants　had　already　spoken　together　for　an　instant；　Mr。　Ellsworth　rose：　〃The　answer　which　the　counsel　for　the　plaintiff　was　so　anxious　to　receive；　was　reserved　for　its　proper　place　in　the　defence。　Where　so　much　might　be　said；　he　should　scarcely　be　able　to　confine　himself　within　the　bounds　necessary　at　that　moment。　Let　the　counsel　for　the　plaintiff　rest　assured；　however；　that　the　answer　to　that　particular　question；　when　given；　would　prove；　like　the　general　answer　of　the　defence；　of　a　nature　that　the　interrogator　would；　doubtless；　little　relish。〃

During　Mr。　Clapp's　abusive　remarks；　and　impudent　insinuations　against　himself　and　Mr。　Wyllys；　Hazlehurst；　placing　one　arm　on　the　table　before　him；　leaned　a　little；　forward；　and　fixed　his　eye　steadily；　but　searchingly；　on　the　face　of　the　speaker。　It　proved　as　Harry　had　expected；　the　lawyer　looked　to　the　right　and　left；　he　faced　the　judges；　the　jurors；　he　glanced　at　the　audience；　raised　his　eyes　to　the　ceiling；　or　threw　them　upon　his　papers；　but　not　once　did　he　meet　those　of　Hazlehurst。

〃Gentlemen　of　the　jury；　you　will　observe　that　the　question　remains　unanswered！〃　continued　Mr。　Clapp；　with　a　triumphant　air。　He　then　contrived　to　appeal　to　his　brother　counsel　to　declare　his　own　impressions；　and　gave　Mr。　Reed　an　opportunity　of　affirming；　that　he　had　believed　Mrs。　Stanley　inclined　to　acknowledge　their　client；　he　spoke　calmly　and　impressively；　in　a　manner　very　different　from　the　hurried；　yet　whining　enunciation；　and　flourishing　gestures　of　his　colleague。

Mr。　Clapp　now　proceeded　to　prepare　the　way　for　the　evidence：　he　gave　a　general　idea　of　its　character；　expressing　beforehand　the　firmest　conviction　of　its　effect　on　the　court。　〃I　have　been　engaged　in　hundreds　of　suits；　gentlemen；　I　have　been　a　regular　attendant　in　courts　of　law　from　early　boyhood；　and　never；　in　the　whole　course　of　my　experience；　have　I　met　with　a　case；　so　peculiar　and　so　important；　supported　by　a　body　of　evidence　so　clear；　so　decided；　so　undeniable　as　that　which　we　shall　immediately　lay　before　you；〃　and　Mr。　Clapp　sat　down；　running