hard cash- 第156部分

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　fitted　to　adorn。　More　than　thisand　all　our　sympathiesit　is　not　for　us　to　give　him。　But　then　the　defendant's　counsel　went　too　far　the　other　way。　His　client；　he　says；　is　next　door　to　an　idiot；　and　so；　forsooth；　his　purse　must　be　spared　entirely。　This　is　all　very　well　if　it　could　be　done　without　ignoring　the　plaintiff　and　his　just　claim　to　compensation。　Why；　if　the　defendant；　instead　of　being　weak…minded；　were　an　idiot　or　a　lunatic；　it　would　protect　him　from　punishment　as　a　felon；　but　not　from　damages　in　a　suit。　A　sane　man　is　not　to　be　falsely　imprisoned　by　a　lunatic　without　full　compensation　from　the　lunatic　or　his　estate：　_a　fortiori；_　he　is　not　to　be　so　imprisoned　by　a　mere　fool　without　just　compensation。　Supposing　your　verdict；　then；　to　be　for　the　plaintiff；　I　think　vindictive　damages　would　be　unfair；　on　this　feeble　defendant；　who　has　acted　recklessly；　but　under　an　error；　and　without　malice；　or　bad　faith。　On　the　other　hand；　nominal　or　even　unsubstantial　damages　would　be　unjust　to　the　plaintiff；　and　perhaps　leave　in　some　minds　a　doubt　that　I　think　you　do　not　yourselves　entertain；　as　to　the　plaintiff's　perfect　sanity　during　the　whole　period　of　his　life。〃

As　soon　as　his　lordship　had　ended；　the　foreman　of　the　jury　said　their　minds　were　quite　made　up　long　ago。

〃Si…lence　in　the　court。〃

〃We　find　for　the　plaintiff；　with　damages　three　thousand　pounds。〃

The　verdict　was　received　with　some　surprise　by　the　judge；　and　all　the　lawyers　except　Mr。　Colt；　and　by　the　people　with　acclamation；　in　the　midst　of　which　Mr。　Colt　announced　that　the　plaintiff　had　just　gained　his　first　class　at　Oxford。　〃I　wish　him　joy；〃　said　the　judge。


CHAPTER　LIV

THE　verdict　was　a　thunder…clap　to　Richard　Hardie：　he　had　promised　Thomas　to　bear　him　blameless。　The　Old　Turks；　into　which　he　had　bought　at　72；　were　down　to　71；　and　that　implied　a　loss　of　five　thousand　pounds。　On　the　top　of　all　this　came　Mr。　Compton's　letter　neatly　copied　by　Colls：　Richard　Hardie　was　doubly　and　trebly　ruined。

Then　in　his　despair　and　hate　he　determined　to　baffle　them　all；　ay；　and　sting　the　hearts　of　some　of　them　once　more。

He　would　give　Peggy　his　last　shilling；　write　a　line　to　Alfred；　another　to　Julia；　assuring　them　he　had　no　money；　and　they　had　killed　him。　And　with　that　leave　them　both　the　solemn　curse　of　a　dying　father；　and　then　kill　himself。

Not　to　be　interrupted　in　his　plan；　he　temporised　with　Mr。　Compton；　wrote　that；　if　the　Receipt　was　really　signed　by　his　agent；　of　course　the　loss　must　fall　on　him；　it　was　a　large　sum；　but　he　would　sell　out　and　do　his　best；　in　ten　days　from　date。　With　this　he　went　and　bought　a　pistol；　and　at　several　chemist's　shops　a　little　essential　oil　of　almonds：　his　plan　was　to　take　the　poison；　and；　if　it　killed　without　pain；　well　and　good；　but　if　it　tortured　him；　then　he　would　blow　his　brains　out　at　once。

He　soon　arranged　his　worldly　affairs；　and　next　day　gave　Peggy　his　L。　500；　and　told　her　she　had　better　keep　it　for　fear　he　should　be　arrested。　He　sent　her　on　an　errand　to　the　other　part　of　the　town：　then　with　his　poison　and　the　pistol　before　him　on　the　table；　wrote　a　brief　but　emphatic　curse　for　his　son　and　Julia；　and　a　line　to　Peggy　to　thank　her　for　her　fidelity　to　one　so　much　older　than　herself；　and　to　advise　her　to　take　a　tobacconist's　shop　with　his　money。　When　he　had　done　all　this；　he　poured　out　the　fragrant　poison　and　tasted　it。

Ere　he　could　drink　it；　one　of　those　quidnunes；　who　are　always　interrupting　a　gentleman　when　he　has　important　business　on　hand；　came　running　in　with　all　manner　of　small　intelligence。　Mr。　Hardie　put　down　the　glass；　and　gave　him　short；　sullen　answers；　in　hopes　he　would　then　go　away　and　let　him　proceed　to　business。　And　at　last　his　visitor　did　rise　and　go。　Mr。　Hardie　sat　down　with　a　sigh　of　relief　to　his　fragrant　beverage。

Doesn't　the　door　open；　and　this　bore　poke　in　his　head：　〃Oh　I　forgot　to　tell　you；　the　Old　Turks　are　going　up　today；　like　a　shot。〃　And　with　this　he　slammed　the　door　again；　and　was　off。

At　this　the　cup　began　to　tremble　in　the　resolute　wretch's　hand。　The　Old　Turks　going　up！　He　poured　the　poison　back　into　the　phial；　and　put　it　and　the　pistol　and　all　the　letters　carefully　into　his　pocke