Volume Ii Part 28 (1/2)
He turned over leaves, backwards and forwards, and read and re-read pa.s.sages pointed out to him by the clerk. Then he looked up, a bright idea having dawned upon him, and, keeping his first finger on a particular line, said:
”Are you the lady's nearest male relation?”
”No, I am not. Her only male relation is very ill in Scotland.”
”Are you any relation of hers?”
”No; I am her friend.”
”My _dear_ sir,” said the magistrate, ”why take up my time in this way?
You have no right to interfere--there is no precedent for such a thing, no precedent at all,” and he got up and stood leaning his knuckles on the table and looking at Paul Lyons as though his ignorance of the law was almost worthy of compa.s.sion.
”Will you advise me, sir? What am I to do? Can you not tell me how I must set to work? Surely your experience can help me.”
”No, sir; I really cannot take the responsibility of doing this--the lady's nearest relations must take the matter up. You had better not interfere.”
”And if the lady has no relations?”
”That, sir, is a position--hem--the law never contemplated such a position. I really must beg you to withdraw now, you are taking up the time of the (he was going to say court but he corrected himself)--you are taking up my time, sir.”
With hidden rage, poor Paul left him, and found himself in the street.
What was the right thing to do? How could he help her?
He went to see Grace to consult with her; she cried and then laughed, and got quite hysterical.
”Oh! you foolish boy, I am her nearest relation, and I will send for the doctor; they sent him to me, but I got rid of him, I disliked him so much. We will have him here, and I will see if I cannot talk him into helping us.”
She wrote a note and sent it off, and Paul, who by this time knew he had had no food for a long time, went off to his hotel, promising to be back again to meet the doctor and tell him the state of matters.
The picture he had drawn of Mr. Drayton's violence filled Grace with anxiety. She moved about restlessly, filling up the time by trying various occupations and throwing each aside one after another.
Jean, coming to see if she wanted anything, found her in a fever, and when she heard all was nearly ”demented,” to use her own expression. She talked and remonstrated and suggested all in a breath. The police, that would be a help.
When Mr. Lyons returned, this idea was given to him by Grace, and he was inclined to think it might help. He went off to find the superintendent, and was met by fresh difficulties.
The superintendent asked what he was afraid of, and laughed at the idea of his being called upon to protect a lady who had made no complaint.
Urged by Paul at length he said,
”I will tell the man on that beat to look out, and if he hears screams----”
”He will of course at once get admittance,” said Paul, eagerly, horrified to hear his own fears put into actual words.
The superintendent smiled--a superior smile,
”No, sir, he must not enter any man's house unless he is _called_ in, it would be breaking the law.”
”Then he must wait till murder is committed before interfering.”
”Well, you see, sir, little rows and things cannot be interfered with unless one of the parties asks for help.”