elinor wyllys-2-第40章

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　sworn　to　by　several　witnesses。　Mr。　Wyllys　was　evidently　moved　when　the　letter　was　read；　he　asked　to　look　at　it；　and　all　eyes　were　turned　on　his　venerable　countenance；　as　he　silently　examined　the　paper。　It　was　remarked　that　the　hand　which　held　the　letter　was　not　steady；　and　the　features　which　bent　over　it　betrayed　perceptible　agitation。　Mr。　Wyllys　turned　to　Hazlehurst；　as　he　finished　reading　the　sheet。

〃It　is　undeniably　genuine；　the　letter　of　John　Stanley　to　his　son！〃　he　said。

A　short　consultation　succeeded　between　the　defendants。　Hazlehurst　wrote　a　line　or　two　on　a　slip　of　paper；　and　handed　it　to　Mr。　Wyllys；　and　then　to　Ellsworth　and　Mr。　Grant。

〃Will　the　counsel　for　the　plaintiff　tell　us；　why　these　documents　were　not　produced　at　the　interview　with　the　defendants？〃　asked　Mr。　Ellsworth。

〃We　had　several　reasons　for　not　doing　so；〃　replied　Mr。　Clapp。　〃Had　our　client　not　been　received　so　coldly；　and　every　effort　employed　to　misunderstand　him；　we　should　have　produced　them　earlier；　although　it　would　have　been　impossible　to　have　shown　them　at　that　meeting；　since　they　were　not　then　in　our　possession。〃

〃Will　the　plaintiff　state　where；　and　from　whom　he　first　received　that　pocket…book？〃　asked　Mr。　Grant。

Here　the　counsel　for　the　plaintiff　consulted　together　a　moment。　It　seemed　as　if　their　client　was　willing　to　answer　the　question；　and　that　Mr。　Reed　advised　his　doing　so；　but　Mr。　Clapp　opposed　it。

〃The　defendants　must　be　aware；〃　he　said；　〃that　they　had　no　right　to　question　his　client；　Mr。　Stanley　therefore　declined　answering；　he　had　already；　at　the　proper　time　and　place；　answered　many　inquiries　of　theirs；　in　a　manner　which　had；　doubtless；　appeared　satisfactory　to　the　court；　although　it　had　not　satisfied　the　defendants。　Mr。　Stanley　had　lost　all　hope　of　answering　any　question　of　the　defendants；　in　a　manner　SATISFACTORY　TO　THEM。〃

Here　the　defendants　were　engaged　for　a　moment　in　making　notes。

Mr。　Reed　proceeded　with　the　contents　of　the　pocket…book。　〃The　letter　of　the　father　to　his　erring　son；　is　not　the　only　testimony　we　shall　produce　from　the　pocket…book　of　my　client；　gentlemen。〃

A　printed　slip　of　newspaper；　soiled；　and　yellow　with　age；　was　then　drawn　from　one　of　the　pockets；　and　read　by　Mr。　Reed：　〃Married；　Wednesday；　the　10th；　at　Trinity　Church；　New　York；　by　the　Rev。　Charles　G。　Stanley；　John　Stanley；　of　Greatwood；　Pennsylvania；　to　Elizabeth；　daughter　of　the　late　Myndert　Van　Ryssen；　of　Poughkeepsie。〃

Again　the　defendants　showed　evident　interest。　Mr。　Wyllys　passed　his　hand　over　his　face；　to　drive　away　melancholy　recollections　of　the　past；　the　present　Mrs。　Stanley　was　Miss　Van　Ryssen；　and　at　that　marriage　he　had　stood　by　the　side　of　his　friends；　as　the　priest　united　them。

〃Is　not　that　a　touching　memorial；　gentlemen；　of　the　workings　of　natural　feeling　in　the　heart　of　a　misguided　boy？　He　had　left　his　father；　left　his　home；　left　his　friends　in　a　fit　of　reckless　folly；　but　when　he　meets　with　the　name　of　the　parent　from　whom　he　is　estranged；　in　an　American　paper；　in　a　distant　land；　he　cuts　the　paragraph　from　the　sheet；　and　it　is　carefully　preserved　among　his　precious　things；　during　many　succeeding　years　of　hardships；　and　of　wrongs。　But　there　is　another　striking　fact　connected　with　that　scrap　of　paper；　the　individual　whose　name　stands　there；　as　connected　in　the　closest　of　human　ties　with　the　young　man's　father；　is　the　same；　whose　legal　representative　I　now　see　before　me；　prepared　to　oppose；　by　every　means　in　his　power；　the　claim　of　the　son　to　the　inheritance　bequeathed　him；　with　the　forgiveness　of　his　dying　father。　The　simplest　language　I　can　choose；　will　best　express　the　force　of　facts　so　painful。　The　circumstances　are　before　you；　it　rests　with　you　to　say；　whether　tardy　justice　shall　not　at　length　make　some　amends　for　the　wrongs　of　the　last　eighteen　years。〃

The　defendants　here　asked　to　look　at　the　paper；　they　could　find　no　fault　with　it；　in　texture；　colour；　accuracy；　every　point；　it　corresponded　with　what　it　should　be。

Mr。　Reed　paused　an　instant；　and　then　continued。　〃But；　gentlemen　of　the　jury；　this　old　and　well…worn　pocket…book；　the　companion　of　my　client's　wanderings；　and　hard　fortunes；　the　letter　from　the　father　to　the　son；　received　as　authentic；　without　an　instant's　hesitation；　by　the　defendants　themselves；　the　marriage　notice　of　the　deceased　father　and　the　step…mother；　now　his　legal　opponent；　are　not　the　only　proofs　to　be　drawn　from　this　portion　of　our　testimony。〃

Mr。　Reed　then　opened　the　pocket…book；　and　showed　that　it　had　originally　contained　a　number　of　leaves　of　blank　paper；　these　leaves　were　partially　covered　with　the　hand…writing　of　William　Stanley。　The　date　of　his　going　to　sea；　and　the　names　of　the　vessels　he　had　sailed　in；　were　recorded。　Brief；　random　notes　occurred；　of　no　other　importance　than　that　of　proving　the　authenticity　of　the　pocket…book。　A　sailor's　song　was　written　on　one　page；　another　was　half…covered　with　figures；　apparently　some　trifling　accounts　of　his　own。　The　date　of　a　particular　storm　of　unusual　severity；　was　put　down；　with　the　latitude　and　longitude　in　which　it　occurred；　the　number　of　hours　it　lasted；　and　the　details　of　the　injury　done　to　the　vessel。　This　rude　journal；　if　such　it　may　be　called；　was　handed　to　the　jury；　and　also　examined　by　the　defendants。

Mr。　Grant　took　it；　observing　with　his　usual　set　expression；　and　caustic　manner；　that　〃it　was　certainly　the　pocket…book　of　a　sailor；　probably　the　pocket…book　of　William　Stanley。　It　was　connected　with　a　singular　story；　a　very　singular　story　indeed；　but；　really；　there　was　one　fact　which　made　it　altogether　the　most　extraordinary　compound　of　leather　and　paper；　that　ever　happened　to　fall　in　his　way。　If　he　was　not　mistaken；　he　had　understood　that　the　plaintiff；　among　other　remarkable　adventures；　claimed　to　have　just　escaped　drowning；　by　the　skin　of　his　teeth；　when　picked　up　on　the　coast　of　Africa；　in　the　winter　of　181…。　His　pocket…book　seemed　to　have　borne　the　shipwreck　equally　well；　it　was　landed　high　and　dry　in　that　court…house；　without　a　trace　of　salt…water　about　it。　How　did　the　plaintiff　manage　to　preserve　it　so　well？　He　should　like　the　receipt；　it　might　prove　useful。〃

｛〃receipt〃　=　recipe｝

Mr。　Grant　had　been　looking　down　very　attentively　at　the　pocket…book　while　speaking；　occasionally　holding　it　up　for　others　to　see；　with　studied　carelessness；　as　he　put　the　question；　he　suddenly　raised　his　eyes；　without　changing　his　position；　and　fixed　them　searchingly；　with　a　sort　of　ironical　simplicity；　on　Mr。　Clapp　and　his　client。

〃I　can　tell　him　all　about　it；〃　the　plaintiff　was　heard　to　say；　by　those　near　him。

There　was　a　moment's　consultation　between　the　plaintiff　and　his　counsel。　A　juror　then　expressed　a　wish　to　hear　the　explanation。

Mr。　Clapp　rose　and　said：　〃When　Mr。　Stanley　was　picked　up　by　the　'William；'　does　the　counsel　for　my　client's　step…mother　suppose；　that　he　was　the　only　remnant　of　the　wreck　floating　about？　If　he　does；　he　happens　to　be　mistaken。　Mr。　Stanley　says　there　were　two　others　of　the　crew　picked　up　at　the　time　he　was；　with　the　hope　of　restoring　life；　but　they　were　dead。　There　were　also　several　chests；　and　various　other　objects　brought　on　board　the　'William。'　One　of　the　chests　was　his　client's。　The　pocket…book　was　contained　in　a　tin　box；　which　happened　to　be　wrapped　in　a　piece　of　old　sail…cloth；　and　nothing　in　the　box　was　wet。　It　contained　several　old　bank…notes；　besides　the　pocket…book；　and　they　were　not　wet。　He　hoped　the　counsel　for　his　client's　step…mother　was　satisfied。〃

Mr。　Grant　bowed。　〃Much　obliged　for　the　explanation；　but　he　was　still　inclined　to　think；　that　there　must　have　been　some　peculiar　process　employed　with　that　highly　important　pocket…book。〃

Mr。　Clapp　replied　by　a　short　burst　of　indignation；　at　the　intolerable　insinuations　of　his　opponent；　and　appealed　to　the　court　to　silence　them。　Mr。　Grant　was　accordingly　reminded　by　the　judge；　that　unless　he　had　something　beyond　mere　insinuations　to　offer；　his　remarks　could　not　be　listened　to。　Mr。　Reed　then　related　how　these　papers　had　been　lost　by　his　client；　some　years　since；　they　had　been　left　in　a　box　at　a　boarding…house；　during　a　voyage　he　made　in　the　Pacific；　the　house　was　burnt　down；　and　Mr。　Stanley　had　believed　his　papers　lost；　until　he　recently　heard　they　were　in　possession　of　a　shipmate；　at　New　Bedford。　Mr。　Clapp　and　himself　had　gone　there；　and　easily　obtained　them　again　from　Robert　Stebbins；　the　man　in　whose　hands　they　had　been　since　the　fire。　The　fact　of　the　fire　was　proved；　Stebbins　was　sworn；　and　testified　to　having　saved　the　box　with　his　own　effects；　and　his　having　quite　lately　returned　it　to　the　owner；　on　first　hearing　an　account　of　the　suit　in　which　he　was　engaged。　This　part　of　the　testimony　was　clearly　laid　before　the　court　by　Mr。　Reed；　and　the　evidence　for　the　plaintiffs　was　closed；　with　these　papers；　and　the　examination　of　Stebbins；　through　whose　hands　they　had　come。

The　cross…examination　of　the　different　witnesses　was　still　conducted　by　Mr。　Grant；　several　of　the　witnesses　were　made　to　contradict　each　other；　and　partially　to　contradict　themselves；　but　as　it　was　only　on　points　of　minor　importance；　no　material　change　could　be　effected　in　the　general　appearance　of　things；　in　spite　of　all　Mr。　Grant's　ingenuity。　He　kept　Stebbins　a　long　time　on　the　stand；　and　once　or　twice　this　individual　seemed　a　good　deal　confused　in　manner　and　expression；　still　nothing　important　could　be　drawn　from　him；　his　account　of　the　papers　corresponding　sufficiently　well　with　that　of　the　plaintiff。

It　was　late　in　the　afternoon　when　the　proceedings　of　the　trial　reached　this　stage；　and　the　court　adjourned。　Some　of　Hazlehurst's　friends　were　uneasy；　others　were　confident　of　success；　Mr。　Stryker　declared　he　thought　the　sailor　had　made　out　a　very　strong　case；　and　he　predicted　that　he　would　gain　the　suit。　It　is　not　to　be　supposed　that　Mrs。　Stanley；　and　the　ladies　at　Wyllys…Roof；　were　left　in　ignorance　of　what　passed　in　the　court…room。　Robert　Hazlehurst；　at　whose　house　Mrs。　Stanley　and　Miss　Wyllys　were　staying；　made　brief　notes　of　the　proceedings　every　few　hours；　and　sent　them　to　his　wife　and　friends；　who　despatched　them　by　every　mail　to　the　younger　ladies　at　Wyllys…Roof。

When　the　court　met　again；　the　time　for　the　defendants　to　be　heard　had　arrived。

The　defence　was　opened　by　Hazlehurst；　he　had　had　but　little　practice　at　the　bar；　but；　like　most　educated　Americans；　it　required　but　little　to　fit　him　for　speaking　in　public。　His　voice　was　good；　his　manner　and　appearance　were　highly　in　his　favour；　he　had　the　best　of　materials　to　work　with；　native　ability；　cultivated　by　a　thorough　education；　and　supported　by　just　views　and　sound　principles。　Energy　of　character　and　feeling　helped　him　also；　warming　as　he　proceeded；　he　threw　himself　fully　into　his　subject；　and　went　on　with　a　facility　surprising　to　himself；　and　far　surpassing　the　most　sanguine　expectations　of　his　friends。　As　for　his　opponents；　they　had　anticipated　very　little　from　him。　We　give　a　sketch　of　his　opening　remarks：

〃It　is　the　first　time；　gentlemen；〃　he　said；　on　rising　to　speak；　〃that　the　individual　who　now　addresses　you；　has　ever　appeared　in　a　high　court　of　justice；　as　an　act　of　self…defence。　I　have　never　yet　been　solemnly　called　upon　to　account　for　my　past　actions　by　any　fellow…creature。　My　moral　motives　have　never　yet　bee