Aunt Jane's Nieces Out West
If the
examination is held, you will see Jones then. If it's postponed, you may
visit him in the jail."
Maud reflected a moment.
"Very well," said she, "I'll go with you." Then, turning to her aunt, she
continued: "You must make my excuses to Mr. Goldstein, Aunt Jane."
Mrs. Montrose eyed her niece critically.
"Who will accompany you, Maud?" she asked.
"Why, I'll go," said Patsy Doyle; and so it was settled, Uncle John
agreeing to escort the young ladies and see them safely home again.
CHAPTER XXI
THE YACHT "ARABELLA"
As the party drove into town Colby said:
"It wouldn't be a bad idea for Jones to bribe that fellow Le Drieux. If
Le Drieux, who holds a warrant for the arrest of Jack Andrews, issued by
the Austrian government and vised in Washington, could be won to our
side, the whole charge against our friend might be speedily dissolved."
"Disgraceful!" snapped Maud indignantly. "I am positive Mr. Jones would
not consider such a proposition."
"Diplomatic, not disgraceful," commented the lawyer, smiling at her. "Why
should Jones refuse to consider bribery?"
"To use money to defeat justice would be a crime as despicable as
stealing pearls," she said.
"Dear me!" muttered Colby, with a puzzled frown. "What a queer way to
look at it. Le Drieux has already been bribed, by a liberal reward, to
run down a supposed criminal. If we bribe him with a larger sum to give
up the pursuit of Jones, whom we believe innocent, we are merely
defending ourselves from a possible injustice which may be brought about
by an error of judgment."
"Isn't this judge both able and honest?" asked Uncle John.
"Wilton? Well, possibly. His ability consists in his knowledge of law,
rather than of men and affairs. He believes himself honest, I suppose,
but I'll venture to predict he will act upon prejudice and an assumption
of personal dignity, rather than attempt to discover if his personal
impressions correspond with justice. A judge, Mr. Merrick, is a mere
man, with all the average man's failings; so we must expect him to be
quite human.
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In a village there lived two men who had the self-same name. Both were named Claus. But one of them owned four horses, and the other owned only one horse; so to distinguish between them people called the man who had four horses Big Claus, and the man who had only one horse Little Claus. Now I'll tell you what happened to these two, for this is a true story.
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