“I am,” she replied. “What is your business with me?”
“I have to place this document in your hands.”
He gave her a paper which she rapidly unfolded. To her dying day
she could always see that hateful bit of foolscap with its alternate
printing and writing. The words were to this effect:
Writ Subpoena Ad Test, at Sittings of High Court. IN THE HIGH COURT OF
JUSTICE, QUEEN'S BENCH DIVISION. Between Luke Raeburn, Plaintiff, and
William Henry Pogson, Defendant VICTORIA, by the Grace of God, of the
United kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the
Faith, To Erica Raeburn, greeting. We command you to attend at the
sittings of the Queen's Bench division of our High Court of Justice to
be holden at Westminster on Tuesday, the Twentieth day of June, 18__, at
the hour of half past Ten in the forenoon, and so from day to day during
the said sittings, until the above cause is tried, to give evidence on
behalf of the Defendant. Witness, etc., etc.
Erica read the paper twice before she looked up; she had grown white to
the very lips. Raeburn, recognizing the form of a subpoena, came
hastily forward, and in the merest glance saw how matters were. By no
possibility could the most malicious of opponents have selected a surer
means of torturing him.
“Is this legal?” asked Erica, lifting to him eyes that flashed with
righteous indignation.
“Oh, it is legal,” he replied bitterly “the pound of flesh was legal. A
wife need not appear against her husband, but a daughter may be dragged
into court and forced to give evidence against her father.”
As he spoke, such anger flashed from his eyes that the clerk shivered
all down his backbone. He thought he would take his departure as quickly
as might be, and drawing a little nearer, put down a coin upon the table
beside Erica.
“This fee is to cover your expenses, madame,” he said.
“What!” exclaimed Erica, her anger leaping up into a sudden flame, “do
you think I shall take money from that man?”
She had an insane desire to snatch up the sovereign and fling it at the
clerk's head, but restraining herself merely flicked it back across the
table to him, just touching it with the back of her hand as though it
had been polluted.
“You can take that back again,” she said, a look of scorn sweeping over
her face. “Tell Mr. Pogson that, when he martyrs people he need not say:
'The martyrdom will make you hungry here is luncheon money,' or 'The
torture will tire you here is your cab fare!'”
“But, madame, excuse me,” said the clerk, looking much embarrassed. “I
must leave the money, I am bound to leave it.”
“If you leave it, I shall just throw it into the fireplace before your
eyes,” said Erica. “But if indeed it can't be sent back, then give it to
the first gutter child you meet do anything you like with it! Hang it on
your watch chain as a memento of the most cruel case your firm every had
to do with!”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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