‘I believe not, thank you,’ said Stephen, looking intently at the contents of the pie. ‘I dined not long ago with a friend.’
‘But tell me, Stephen,’ said Jack in a much graver tone, ‘how did you leave poor Martin?’
‘I left him comfortable and in good hands – his bride to be is a most devoted nurse and he is attended by an intelligent apothecary – but I long for news of him: they have promised to send an express daily.’
They talked of Martin and their voyages together while Sophie went on with her apple tart.
She was not a distinguished cook, but apple tart was one of the dishes she had succeeded with a little more often than not, and now, since Stephen was to sup with them, she decorated it with pastry shamrock leaves.
‘If you please, sir,’ said Killick, interrupting them, ‘the young gentleman from the lawyers.’
Jack went into the next room, and returning some minutes later he said ‘That was to tell me they have retained a Mr Lawrence. It was announced as a great piece of good news, and the young fellow seemed quite dashed when I did not cry out with delight. It appears that Mr Lawrence is a very clever lawyer indeed, and I suppose I should be glad; but upon my word I cannot see that I want a lawyer at all. We get along very well without counsel at courts-martial. And there are certainly no counsel present when defaulters are called to the quarterdeck and the grating is rigged; yet I believe justice is done. This affair is nothing like those miserable cases to do with the Ashgrove lead-mines, with innumerable obscure points of disputed contract and liability and interpretation that have to be dealt with by specialists; no, no, this is much more like a naval matter, and what I should like is simply to have my say, like a man called before his captain, and tell the judge and jury just what happened. Everyone agrees that there is nothing fairer than English justice, and if I tell them the plain truth I am sure I shall be believed. I shall say that I never conspired with anyone, and that if I followed Palmer’s tip I did so with a perfectly innocent mind, as one might have followed a tip for the Derby. If that was wrong, I am perfectly willing to cancel all my time-bargains; but I have always understood that guilty intent was the essence of any crime. And if they confront me with any man who says that what I say is not true, why then, the court must decide which of us is to be believed
– which is the more trustworthy – and I have not much fear of that. I have every confidence in the justice of my country,’ said Jack, smiling at the pompous sound of his words.
‘Have you ever been present at a trial?’ asked Stephen.
‘Courts-martial by the score, but never a civilian trial. All mine have taken place when I was away at sea.’
‘I have listened to some, alas,’ said Stephen, ‘and I do assure you, brother, that the rules of the game, what constitutes evidence, the exits and entrances, and who is allowed to speak when, and what he may say, are infinitely more complex than they are in naval law.
It is a game that has been going on for hundreds and hundreds of years, growing more tortuous with every generation, the rules multiplying, the precedents accumulating, equity interfering, statutes galore, and now it is such a black bitter tangle that a layman is perfectly helpless. I do beg you will attend to this eminent counsellor, and follow his advice.’
Pray do, sweetheart,’ said Sophie
Very well,’ said Jack ‘I dare say the case needs one, just as sometimes a ship needs a pilot for what seems the simplest harbour’
This was most decidedly Mr Lawrence’s opinion He was a tall, dark man who not only looked and sounded very well in court but who also had a reputation for defending his clients with the most dogged tenacity, rather as some medical men fight tooth and nail for their patients’ lives, making a great personal point of it He was not one to stand on his dignity nor on legal etiquette and after the first meeting in his chambers with Jack’s solicitors he often saw Stephen informally, all the more so since they took to one another at once They had both been to Trinity College in Dublin, and although they had scarcely met there they had many acquaintances in common, they were both ardent champions of Catholic emancipation, and they both detested Lord Liverpool and most of his Cabinet colleagues ‘I do not think the ministry set this matter on foot,’ said Lawrence ‘That would be too gross even for Sidmouth’s myrmidons; but I am quite sure that they mean to take every possible advantage of the situation now that it has arisen, and I must tell you that if this Palmer is not produced – physically produced and identified as the man in the chaise, I mean, whether
he denies the whole affair or not – then I fear for your friend.’
‘For some time now we have had Pratt searching for him, as I told you,’ said Stephen.
‘And now there are several others. On Monday morning a man who had lost money to me at cards long ago sent me a draft on his banker, which pleased me, and on Monday afternoon I had an express from the country, telling me that a friend upon wham I had operated was quite recovered, was quite out of danger – a valued friend. So by way of a thank-offering I have put up this unexpected sum as a reward for the discovery of the man in the chaise.’
‘A considerable sum, I collect, from your reference to several men?’
‘I should be ashamed to tell you how much. We played piquet day after day in Malta, and throughout the whole period the law of averages was suspended in my favour; if he had a septieme I had a huitième, and so it went for the dear knows how many tedious sessions.
He could not win at all, the creature. I did not scruple to accept his draft, however; and I find it concentrates my searchers’ minds to a wonderful degree. I am to see Pratt this afternoon.’
‘How I hope he has good news for you. The eagerness of this prosecution – the steady refusal of bail, the hurrying forward of the case so that it shall be heard by a furious Tory, a member of the Cabinet – is something rare in my experience; and unless we have something solid to go upon it is hard to see any line of defence that can withstand their attack.’
Stephen was drinking his after-dinner coffee at Fladong’s ‘when he saw Pratt come in: the man looked pale, drawn, tired and discouraged. ‘Here is a chair, Mr Pratt,’ said Stephen.
‘What will you take?’
‘Thank you, sir,’ said Pratt, letting himself down heavily. ‘If I might have a glass of gin and water, cold, that would he prime. I believe we have found our man.’
But there was no exultation in his tone nor on his face -his was not a triumphant look – and Stephen called for the gin before saying ‘Will you go on, now, Mr Pratt?’
‘It was Bill Hemmings’ friend Josiah. He was going over the river corpses with the Southwark coroner’s man and he came across one that fitted my description – right for age, height, hair and build, dressed genteel, and had
not been in the water above a dozen tides. Bu what fixed Josiah in his mind was that the coroner’s man, name of Body, William Body, whose wife works at Guy’s, had got hold of a paper, a little hand-bill passed about the hospitals and police-offices and so on asking for information for just such a gentleman – a Mr Paul Ogle, it said, that was likely to have been taken ill – and anyone who brought news of his whereabouts to N. Bartlet of 3, Back Court, Lyon’s Inn, should be rewarded for his trouble. Lyon’s Inn, sir.’
‘Just so, Mr Pratt.’
I hurried round to 3, Back Court, in course, and in course I drew a blank again N Bartlet was gone and nobody knew where she was gone to She was a whore, sir, and she was in the flogging line a quiet, plain woman, no longer young; had not been in the court long, and kept herself to herself, but was well liked, and it seems that Mr Ogle was her sweetheart She was in a sad way about him.’
‘What are the chances of finding her?’
Pratt shook his head Even if she could be found she would deny everything – refuse to speak. Otherwise she knows very well they would serve her out the same way they served Ogle.’