The Ways of The Hour

had a capital case together. In the present state of public opin­ion in Duke’s, I much question whether we can get a jury em­pannelled in this trial at all.”

it, it means `speaking of that.’ “ “And is it right to say à propos to such a thing?”

on manners. It’s a pity that so handsome and so agreeable a young lady should be hanged, Mr. Dunscomb!”

freely, though without making any noise; “perhaps it did. When the small – pox is about, there is no telling who may take it. As for this case, ‘Squire Dunscomb, it is my opinion we shall have to run for disagreements. If we can get the juries to disagree once or twice, and can get a change of venue, with a couple of charges, the deuce is in it if a man of your experience don’t corner them so tightly, they’ll give the matter up, rather than have any more trouble about it. After all, the state can’t gain much by hanging a young woman that nobody knows, even if she be a little aristocratical. We must get her to change her dress altogether, and some of her ways too; which, in her circumstances, I call downright hanging ways; and the sooner she is rid of them, the better.”

Dunscomb was youthful, in all respects, for his time of life; and many a man has loved, and married, and become the parent of a flourishing family, who had seen all the days he had seen. That glance was to inquire if it were possible that the uncle and nephew were likely to be rivals, and to obtain as much

knowledge as could be readily gleaned in a quick, jealous look. But the counsellor was calm as usual, and no tinge of colour, no sigh, no gentleness of expression, betrayed the existence of the master passion. It was reported among the bachelor’s inti­mates that formerly, when he was about five – and – twenty, he had had an affair of the heart, which had taken such deep hold that even the lady’s marriage with another man had not destroyed its impression. That marriage was said not to have been happy, and was succeeded by a second, that was still less so; though the parties were affluent, educated, and possessed all the means that are commonly supposed to produce felicity. A single child was the issue of the first marriage, and its birth had shortly preceded the separation that followed. Three years later the father died, leaving the whole of a very ample fortune to this child, coupled with the strange request that Dunscomb, once the betrothed of her mother, should be the trustee and guardian of the daughter. This extraordinary demand had not been complied with, and Dunscomb had not seen any of the parties from the time he broke with his mistress. The heiress married young, died within the year, and left another heiress; but no further allusion to our counsellor was made, in any of the later wills and settlements. Once, indeed, he had been professionally consulted concerning the devises in favour of the granddaughter a certain Mildred Millington who was a second – cousin to Michael of that name, and as rich as he was poor. For some years, a sort of vague expectation prevailed that these two young Millingtons might marry; but a feud existed in the family, and little or no intercourse was permitted. The early removal of the young lady to a distant school prevented

chin, and trying to look simple and disinterested, “I am afraid clients like ours are often flush. I have been employed about the Tombs a good deal in my time, and I have gin’rally found that the richest clients were the biggest rogues.”

existed between Thomas Dunscomb and the half – educated semi – rude being who was associated with him as counsel in the important cause that was now soon to be tried. Such inti­macies are by no means uncommon in the course of events; men often overlooking great dissimilarities in principles, as well as in personal qualities, in managing their associations, so far as they are connected with the affairs of this world. The circumstance that Timms had studied in our counsellor’s of­fice would, as a matter of course, produce certain relations be­tween them in after – life; but the student had made himself useful to his former master on a great variety of occasions, and was frequently employed by him whenever there was a cause depending in the courts of Duke’s, the county in which the unpolished, half – educated, but hard – working and suc­cessful county practitioner had established himself. It may be questioned if Dunscomb really knew all the agencies set in

motion by his coadjutor in difficult cases; but, whether he did or not, it is quite certain that many of them were of a char­acter not to see the light. It is very much the fashion of our good republic to turn up its nose at all other lands, a habit no doubt inherited from our great ancestors the English; and one of its standing themes of reproach are the legal corrup­tions and abuses known to exist in France, Spain, Italy, &c.; all over the world, in short, except among ourselves. So far as the judges are concerned, there is a surprising adherence to duty, when bribes alone are concerned, no class of men on earth being probably less obnoxious to just imputations of this char­acter than the innumerable corps of judicial officers; unpaid, poor, hard – worked, and we might almost add unhonoured, as they are. That cases in which bribes are taken do occur, we make no doubt; it would be assuming too much in favour of human nature to infer the contrary; but, under the system of publicity that prevails, it would not be easy for this crime to extend very far without its being exposed. It is greatly to the credit of the vast judicial corps of the States, that bribery is an offence which does not appear to be even suspected at all; or, if there be exceptions to the rule, they exist in but few and iso­lated cases. Here, however, our eulogies on American justice must cease. All that Timms has intimated and Dunscomb has asserted concerning the juries is true; and the evil is one that each day increases. The tendency of everything belonging to the government is to throw power directly into the hands of the people, who, in nearly all cases, use it as men might be sup­posed to do who are perfectly irresponsible, have only a remote, and half the time an invisible interest in its exercise; who do