elinor wyllys-2-第39章

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；　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　his　fingers　through　his　curls。

The　court　here　adjourned　for　an　hour。　The　curiosity　of　the　audience　seemed　thoroughly　excited；　when　the　judges　reassembled；　the　room　was　even　more　crowded　than　in　the　morning。

Before　calling　up　the　witnesses；　Mr。　Reed　spoke　for　five　minutes；　his　dignified　manner　was　a　favourable　preparation　for　the　testimony　in　the　plaintiff's　behalf。

The　first　fact　proved；　was　the　resemblance　of　the　plaintiff　to　William　Stanley；　this　point　was　thoroughly　investigated；　and　settled　without　difficulty　in　favour　of　the　plaintiffsome　half…a…dozen　witnesses　swearing　to　the　identity；　according　to　the　best　of　their　belief。　The　fact　that　the　defendants　themselves　had　acknowledged　the　personal　resemblance；　was　also　made　to　appear；　and　Mr。　Reed　introduced　the　identity　of　handwriting　to　strengthen　the　personal　identityseveral　witnesses　giving　their　testimony　on　the　subject。　It　seemed　indeed；　clear；　from　the　whole　of　this　part　of　the　evidence；　that　there　was　no　rational　ground　to　doubt　any　other　difference；　either　in　the　personal　resemblance　or　the　handwriting；　than　what　might　naturally　exist　in　the　same　man；　at　the　ages　of　eighteen　and　thirty…seven。

The　statement　offered　to　the　defendants　some　months　since；　tracing　the　last　career　of　the　plaintiff　was　now　introduced；　and　the　principal　facts　legally　proved　by　different　witnesses。　Officers　and　sailors　of　different　vessels　in　which　he　had　sailed；　were　sworn。　Among　others；　Captain　…；　of　the　packet　ship　***；　testified　to　the　plaintiff's　having　sailed　in　his　vessel；　under　the　name　of　William　Stanley；　nine　years　previously；　and　it　was　very　clearly　proved；　that　at　different　intervals　since　then；　he　had　continued　to　bear　the　same　name；　although　he　had　also　shipped　under　those　of　Bennet；　Williams；　and　Benson。　The　statement；　as　given　already　in　our　pages；　was　borne　out　satisfactorily　in　most　of　its　important　facts　by　the　evidence；　although　on　some　points　the　counsel　for　the　plaintiffs　confessed；　that　they　had　not　been　able　to　obtain　all　the　legal　proofs　they　had　wished　for。　After　tracing　the　plaintiff's　steps　as　a　sailor；　the　fact　of　his　having　been　long　endeavouring　to　bring　forward　the　claim　he　now　made；　was　examined。　Mr。　G…；　a　highly　respectable　lawyer　of　Baltimore；　testified　to　the　fact　that　several　years　previously；　the　plaintiff　had　applied　to　him　to　undertake　the　case　then　before　the　court；　to　speak　frankly；　this　evidence　surprised　the　defendants；　who　were　scarcely　prepared　for　it。　Then　came　proof　of　the　different　applications　to　Mr。　Clapp；　his　several　visits　to　Longbridge；　and　his　presence　at　Wyllys…Roof　six　years　previously；　when　locked　up　in　the　out…house　by　Hazlehurst；　Mr。　Clapp　repeating　at　this　moment；　a　very　broad　insinuation；　that　the　defendant　knew　the　claims　of　the　individual　he　had　put　in　confinement。　His　willingness　to　be　examined；　his　ready　consent　to　an　interview　with　Mr。　Wyllys；　Mrs。　Stanley；　and　Hazlehurst；　the　close　examination　which　he　bore　at　Wyllys…Roof；　were　brought　forward；　and　Mr。　Clapp　managed　to　introduce　most　of　the　important　questions　of　the　defendants　at　that　time；　with　the　accurate　answers　of　the　plaintiff；　in　his　account　of　that　meting。

The　court　adjourned　at　this　time；　and　many　individuals　among　the　audience　seemed　to　incline　very　decidedly　towards　the　plaintiff。　The　personal　friends　of　the　defendants　looked　somewhat　anxious；　although　Mr。　Wyllys　and　Hazlehurst　still　showed　a　steady　front。　The　testimony　which　we　have　given　so　briefly；　as　much　of　it　has　already　appeared　in　the　narrative；　occupied　the　court　more　than　one　day；　including　the　different　cross…examinations　of　several　witnesses；　by　the　defendants：　this　duty　fell　to　the　lot　of　Mr。　Grant；　who　carried　it　on　in　his　usual　dry；　sarcastic　manner；　but　was　unable　to　effect　any　important　change　in　the　state　of　things。

The　following　morning；　the　plaintiff's　papers　were　laid　before　the　court。　The　volume　of　the　Spectator；　and　the　letters　already　produced　at　Wyllys…Roof；　were　shown。　In　addition　to　these；　the　following　papers　were　now　brought　forward：　A　letter　addressed　to　the　name　of　Benson；　on　board　the　British　sloop…of…war；　Ceres；　another　directed　to　William　Bennet；　on　board　the　Dutch　barque　William；　when　at　Batavia；　nearly　eighteen　years　since；　this　letter　was　important；　as　it　was　evidently　written　to　an　American　sailor；　and　alluded　to　his　having　been　recently　shipwrecked　on　the　coast　of　Africa；　and　taken　up　by　a　Dutch　vessel。　These　documents　were　all　received　with　great　interest；　and　their　probable　authenticity　seemed　generally　admitted。　Mr。　Reed　then　observed：　〃We　shall　close　our　evidence；　gentlemen；　by　laying　before　you　testimony；　sufficient　in　itself　to　prove　triumphantly　the　identity　of　the　plaintiff；　when　connected　with　a　small　portion　only　of　that　which　has　preceded　it。〃

He　drew　from　his　papers　an　old　Russia…leather　pocketbook；　with　the　initials　W。　S。　stamped　upon　in　large　Gothic　letters。

Mr。　Wyllys　made　an　involuntary　movement　as　it　was　held　up　for　examination；　that　very　pocket…book；　or　one　exactly　like　it；　had　he　given　himself　to　the　son　of　his　old　friend；　the　very　last　time　he　saw　him。　He　watched　the　proceedings　at　this　moment　with　intense　interestevident　to　everybody。

〃This　pocket…book；　gentlemen；　is　the　property　of　the　plaintiff；〃　continued　Mr。　Reed。　〃The　initials　of　his　name；　W。　S。；　stamped　upon　it；　are　half…effaced；　yet　still　sufficiently　distinct　to　tell　their　story。　But　the　contents　of　this　precious　book　are　of　still　greater　importance　to　the　interests　of　my　client。〃

Mr。　Reed　then　opened　it　and　drew　from　one　side　a　letter；　and　read　the　address；　〃William　Stanley；　New　York；　care　of　Jonas　Thomson；　Master　of　the　ship　Dorothy　Beck。〃　〃This　letter；　gentlemen　of　the　jury；　is　signed　John　Stanleyit　is　from　the　father　of　William　Stanley；　in　whose　name　I　now　submit　it　to　your　examination。〃　The　letter　was　then　read；　it　corresponded　entirely　with　the　circumstances　already　known　to　the　reader；　its　date；　nature；　handwriting；　all　were　perfectly　correct；　and　the　signature　was　sworn　to　by　several　witnesses。　Mr。　Wyllys　was　evidently　moved　when　the　letter　was　read；　he　asked　to