Complete Project Gutenberg John Galsworthy WorksGalsworthy, John
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Complete Project Gutenberg John Galsworthy Works
Galsworthy, John
English literature -- 20th century; Literature -- Collections
He could not but fear--he said--that his client had met with an accident.
He had fully expected him there to give evidence; they had sent round
that morning both to Mr. Bosinney's office and to his rooms (though he
knew they were one and the same, he thought it was as well not to say
so), but it was not known where he was, and this he considered to be
ominous, knowing how anxious Mr. Bosinney had been to give his evidence.
He had not, however, been instructed to apply for an adjournment, and in
default of such instruction he conceived it his duty to go on. The plea
on which he somewhat confidently relied, and which his client, had he not
unfortunately been prevented in some way from attending, would have
supported by his evidence, was that such an expression as a 'free hand'
could not be limited, fettered, and rendered unmeaning, by any verbiage
which might follow it. He would go further and say that the
correspondence showed that whatever he might have said in his evidence,
Mr. Forsyte had in fact never contemplated repudiating liability on any
of the work ordered or executed by his architect. The defendant had
certainly never contemplated such a contingency, or, as was demonstrated
by his letters, he would never have proceeded with the work--a work of
extreme delicacy, carried out with great care and efficiency, to meet and
satisfy the fastidious taste of a connoisseur, a rich man, a man of
property. He felt strongly on this point, and feeling strongly he used,
perhaps, rather strong words when he said that this action was of a most
unjustifiable, unexpected, indeed--unprecedented character. If his
Lordship had had the opportunity that he himself had made it his duty to
take, to go over this very fine house and see the great delicacy and
beauty of the decorations executed by his client--an artist in his most
honourable profession--he felt convinced that not for one moment would
his Lordship tolerate this, he would use no stronger word than daring
attempt to evade legitimate responsibility.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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