“Certainly,” said Graham.
“You have heard of this Orley Farm case, in which our neighbour Lady Mason is concerned.”
“Oh yes; we were all talking of it at your table;—I think it was the night, or a night or two, before my accident.”
“Very well; then you know all about it. At least as much as the public knows generally. It has now been decided on the part of Joseph Mason—the husband’s eldest son, who is endeavouring to get the property—that she shall be indicted for perjury.”
“For perjury!”
“Yes; and in doing that, regarding the matter from his point of view, they are not deficient in judgment.”
“But how could she have been guilty of perjury?”
“In swearing that she had been present when her husband and the three witnesses executed the deed. If they have any ground to stand on—and I believe they have none whatever, but if they have, they would much more easily get a verdict against her on that point than on a charge of forgery. Supposing it to be the fact that her husband never executed such a deed, it would be manifest that she must have sworn falsely in swearing that she saw him do so.”
“Why, yes; one would say so.”
“But that would afford by no means conclusive evidence that she had forged the surreptitious deed herself.”
“It would be strong presumptive evidence that she was cognizant of the forgery.”
“Perhaps so—but uncorroborated would hardly bring a verdict after such a lapse of years. And then moreover a prosecution for forgery, if unsuccessful, would produce more painful feeling. Whether successful or unsuccessful it would do so. Bail could not be taken in the first instance, and such a prosecution would create a stronger feeling that the poor lady was being persecuted.”
“Those who really understand the matter will hardly thank them for their mercy.”
“But then so few will really understand it. The fact however is that she will be indicted for perjury. I do not know whether the indictment has not been already laid. Mr. Furnival was with me in town yesterday, and at his very urgent request, I discussed the whole subject with him. I shall be on the Home Circuit myself on these next spring assizes, but I shall not take the criminal business at Alston. Indeed I should not choose that this matter should be tried before me under any circumstances, seeing that the lady is my near neighbour. Now Furnival wants you to be engaged on the defence as junior counsel.”
“With himself?”
“Yes; with himself—and with Mr. Chaffanbrass.”
“With Mr. Chaffanbrass!” said Graham, in a tone almost of horror—as though he had been asked to league himself with all that was most disgraceful in the profession;—as indeed perhaps he had been.
“Yes—with Mr. Chaffanbrass.”
“Will that be well, judge, do you think?”
“Mr. Chaffanbrass no doubt is a very clever man, and it may be wise in such a case as this to have the services of a barrister who is perhaps unequalled in his power of cross-examining a witness.”
“Does his power consist in making a witness speak the truth, or in making him conceal it?”
“Perhaps in both. But here, if it be the case as Mr. Furnival suspects, that witnesses will be suborned to give false evidence—”
“But surely the Rounds would have nothing to do with such a matter as that?”
“No, probably not. I am sure that old Richard Round would abhor any such work as you or I would do. They take the evidence as it is brought to them. I believe there is no doubt that at any rate one of the witnesses to the codicil in question will now swear that the signature to the document is not her signature.”
“A woman—is it?”
“Yes; a woman. In such a case it may perhaps be allowable to employ such a man as Mr. Chaffanbrass; and I should tell you also, such another man as Mr. Solomon Aram.”
“Solomon Aram, too! Why, judge, the Old Bailey will be left bare.”
“The shining lights will certainly be down at Alston. Now under those circumstances will you undertake the case?”
“Would you;—in my place?”
“Yes; if I were fully convinced of the innocence of my client at the beginning.”
“But what if I were driven to change my opinion as the thing progressed?”
“You must go on, in such a case, as a matter of course.”
“I suppose I can have a day or two to think of it?”
“Oh yes. I should not myself be the bearer to you of Mr. Furnival’s message, were it not that I think that Lady Mason is being very cruelly used in the matter. If I were a young man in your position, I should take up the case con amore, for the sake of beauty and womanhood. I don’t say that that Quixotism is very wise; but still I don’t think it can be wrong to join yourself even with such men as Chaffanbrass and Mr. Solomon Aram, if you can feel confident that you have justice and truth on your side.” Then after a few more words the interview was over, and the judge left the room making some further observation as to his hope of seeing Graham in the drawing-room on the next day.
On the following morning there came from Peckham two more letters for Graham, one of course from Mary Snow, and one from Mrs. Thomas. We will first give attention to that from the elder lady. She commenced with much awe, declaring that her pen trembled within her fingers, but that nevertheless she felt bound by her conscience and that duty which she owed to Mr. Graham, to tell him everything that had occurred—“word by word,” as she expressed it. And then Felix, looking at the letter, saw that he held in his hand two sheets of letter paper, quite full of small writing, the latter of which was crossed. She went on to say that her care had been unremitting, and her solicitude almost maternal; that Mary’s conduct had on the whole been such as to inspire her with “undeviating confidence;”
