Part 17 (1/2)
”Then why did you not say so before when I asked you?”
said the exasperated lawyer.
”I did,” said Mrs. Fitzpatrick calmly.
”Did you not say that you did not know the wife of the prisoner?”
”I did not,” said Mrs. Fitzpatrick.
By this time the whole audience, including the judge, were indulging themselves in a wide open smile.
”Well, Mrs. Fitzpatrick,” at length said the lawyer, ”I must be decidedly stupid, for I fail to understand you.”
”Indade, I'll not be contradictin' ye, fer it's yersilf ought to know best about that,” replied Mrs. Fitzpatrick pleasantly.
A roar of laughter filled the court room.
”Silence in the court! We must have order,” said the judge, recovering his gravity with such celerity as he could. ”Go on, Mr. Staunton.”
”Well, Mrs. Fitzpatrick, I understand that you know this woman, Paulina Koval.”
”It's mesilf that's plazed to hear it.”
”And I suppose you know that she is the prisoner's wife?”
”An' why wud ye be afther supposin' such a thing?”
”Well! well! Do you know it?”
”Do I know what?”
”Do you know that this woman, Paulina Koval, is the wife of the prisoner?”
”She might be.”
”Oh, come now, Mrs. Fitzpatrick, we are not splitting hairs.
You know perfectly well that this woman is the prisoner's wife.”
”Indade, an' it's the cliver man ye are to know what I know better than I know mesilf.”
”Well, well,” said Mr. Staunton impatiently, ”will you say that you do not consider this woman the prisoner's wife?”
”I will not,” replied Mrs. Fitzpatrick emphatically, ”any more than I won't say she's yer own.”
”Well, well, let us get on. Let us suppose that this woman is his wife. How did the prisoner treat this woman?”
”An' how should he trate her?”
”Did he support her?”
”An' why should he, with her havin' two hands av her own?”
”Well now, Mrs. Fitzpatrick, surely you will say that it was a case of cruel neglect on the part of the prisoner that he should leave her to care for herself and her children, a stranger in a strange land.”
”Indade, it's not fer me to be runnin' down the counthry,”