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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There was once a king who was very powerful. He had great influence over the wild beasts and animals. Now the tortoise was looked upon as the wisest of all beasts and men. This king had a son named Ekpenyon, to whom he gave fifty young girls as wives, but the prince did not like any of them. The king was very angry at this, and made a law that if any man had a daughter who was finer than the prince's wives, and who found favour in his son's eyes, the girl herself and her father and mother should be killed.
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