of
previous occasions will be inclined to weigh to his detriment."
"What previous occasions? I know of no
others"
"Nor is the court supposed to,"
Francis said, straightening up. "But it will not be left in ignorance. I
came on this pretty little sheet in Truro to-day: There are sure to be others
in Bodmin before next week."
He took a crumpled paper out of his pocket,
straightened it, and, avoiding Geoffrey Charles's outstretched fingers, passed
it to Elizabeth.
I thought of showing it to Ross," Francis
added, "but decided it was discreeter to leave him in ignorance.
Elizabeth stared at the paper.' It was a typical
broadsheet, run off a cheap press, the ink blurred and unevenly spread.
True and Sensational Facts in the life of
Captain R-s P--d-k, bold adventurer, seducer and suspected murderer, shortly
to stand his trial on Criminal Charges at B-m-n Assizes next. Price One Penny.
Written by an Intimate Friend.
After a minute she put the paper down, and
looked at Francis. Francis looked steadily, interestedly, back at her. The
thing was written in the form of a biography, and none of the salacious rumours
of the last two years was missing - all set out as if the facts were beyond
dispute.
Francis offered it to George, but he waved it away.
"I have seen them about. One of our coachmen was caught reading a similar
thing yesterday. They are not important."
"Not important," said Francis gently,
"except to Ross."
"Come here, boy," George said to his
godson, "you have the reins entangled with the saddle. Look, this is the
way it goes."
Elizabeth said: "But if all this is
believed it will prejudice the jury, will prejudice everyone. They talk of a
fair trial”
"Don't distress yourself, my dear
Elizabeth," George said.
These scurrilous broadsheets are always going
about regarding someone or other. No one takes account of 'em. Why, only last
month there was some sheet issued purporting to show in the most lurid and
circumstantial detail that feeble-mindedness and insanity runs all through the
Royal Family and that the King's father, Frederick, was a pervert and a
degenerate beyond recall."
And isn't it so?" Francis asked.
George shrugged. " I suppose there is some
sludge of truth in the basest slander.
His meaning was obvious.
"It states," said Elizabeth,
"that Ross served in the American war only to escape charges of this sort
being brought against him before. But he was only a boy at, the time - there
was some boyish escapade, I know, but nothing serious. And this about
Demelza... And this…'
Francis read : " `Furthermore, there are
numerous brats scattered throughout the countryside whose parentage might be
in, doubt did there not exist the strange Circumstance of the scar wherewith
the Devil hath cursed all the Captain's offspring - this scar being so like
unto his own that the same branding iron might have been Employed. Here in
good earnest we find-"' " What does that mean?" Elizabeth asked.
Jinny Carter's child has a scar," said
Francis. "Jinny Scoble, as she now is. The pamphleteer has been to some
trouble to scrape up all the-er-what did you call it?- all the sludge. 'By an
Intimate Friend.' I wonder who it could be. Not you, George, I suppose?"
George smiled. "I earn my bread in a more
orthodox manner. Only a bankrupt would sell his services that way."
Money is not always the strongest
inducement," said Francis, his gibe turned against him
George bent his head to rest his chin on the
knob of his stick. "No, perhaps spite could play its part Anyway,
the matter is unimportant, isn't it? If the stories are all untrue they can be
refuted."
But he had touched Francis on a raw spot and.
his charateristic turning of the point when he had made it did not quite come
off. It had long been George's practice to swallow insults and to pay them back
at leisure. Francis had been brought up to no such self-control. It was
fortunate that just then Geoffrey Charles fell off his horse and pulled the
animal
previous occasions will be inclined to weigh to his detriment."
"What previous occasions? I know of no
others"
"Nor is the court supposed to,"
Francis said, straightening up. "But it will not be left in ignorance. I
came on this pretty little sheet in Truro to-day: There are sure to be others
in Bodmin before next week."
He took a crumpled paper out of his pocket,
straightened it, and, avoiding Geoffrey Charles's outstretched fingers, passed
it to Elizabeth.
I thought of showing it to Ross," Francis
added, "but decided it was discreeter to leave him in ignorance.
Elizabeth stared at the paper.' It was a typical
broadsheet, run off a cheap press, the ink blurred and unevenly spread.
True and Sensational Facts in the life of
Captain R-s P--d-k, bold adventurer, seducer and suspected murderer, shortly
to stand his trial on Criminal Charges at B-m-n Assizes next. Price One Penny.
Written by an Intimate Friend.
After a minute she put the paper down, and
looked at Francis. Francis looked steadily, interestedly, back at her. The
thing was written in the form of a biography, and none of the salacious rumours
of the last two years was missing - all set out as if the facts were beyond
dispute.
Francis offered it to George, but he waved it away.
"I have seen them about. One of our coachmen was caught reading a similar
thing yesterday. They are not important."
"Not important," said Francis gently,
"except to Ross."
"Come here, boy," George said to his
godson, "you have the reins entangled with the saddle. Look, this is the
way it goes."
Elizabeth said: "But if all this is
believed it will prejudice the jury, will prejudice everyone. They talk of a
fair trial”
"Don't distress yourself, my dear
Elizabeth," George said.
These scurrilous broadsheets are always going
about regarding someone or other. No one takes account of 'em. Why, only last
month there was some sheet issued purporting to show in the most lurid and
circumstantial detail that feeble-mindedness and insanity runs all through the
Royal Family and that the King's father, Frederick, was a pervert and a
degenerate beyond recall."
And isn't it so?" Francis asked.
George shrugged. " I suppose there is some
sludge of truth in the basest slander.
His meaning was obvious.
"It states," said Elizabeth,
"that Ross served in the American war only to escape charges of this sort
being brought against him before. But he was only a boy at, the time - there
was some boyish escapade, I know, but nothing serious. And this about
Demelza... And this…'
Francis read : " `Furthermore, there are
numerous brats scattered throughout the countryside whose parentage might be
in, doubt did there not exist the strange Circumstance of the scar wherewith
the Devil hath cursed all the Captain's offspring - this scar being so like
unto his own that the same branding iron might have been Employed. Here in
good earnest we find-"' " What does that mean?" Elizabeth asked.
Jinny Carter's child has a scar," said
Francis. "Jinny Scoble, as she now is. The pamphleteer has been to some
trouble to scrape up all the-er-what did you call it?- all the sludge. 'By an
Intimate Friend.' I wonder who it could be. Not you, George, I suppose?"
George smiled. "I earn my bread in a more
orthodox manner. Only a bankrupt would sell his services that way."
Money is not always the strongest
inducement," said Francis, his gibe turned against him
George bent his head to rest his chin on the
knob of his stick. "No, perhaps spite could play its part Anyway,
the matter is unimportant, isn't it? If the stories are all untrue they can be
refuted."
But he had touched Francis on a raw spot and.
his charateristic turning of the point when he had made it did not quite come
off. It had long been George's practice to swallow insults and to pay them back
at leisure. Francis had been brought up to no such self-control. It was
fortunate that just then Geoffrey Charles fell off his horse and pulled the
animal
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