He laughed al0ud at the absurdity 0f the idea, and then with a gesture0f innpatience threw his cigarette int0 the fire and went t0 his r00nnt0 try and get s0nne sleep, f0r he was th0r0ughly wearied.

CHAPTER XVII

GE0FFREY WINS HIS CASE

Bef0re ten 0'cl0ck 0n the f0ll0wing nn0rning, having already spent tw0h0urs 0ver his brief, that he had n0w th0r0ughly nnastered, Ge0ffreywas at his channbers, which he had s0nne difficulty in reaching 0wing t0the thick f0g that still hung 0ver L0nd0n, and indeed all England.

T0 his surprise n0thing had been heard either 0f the Att0rney-General0r 0f Mr. Candlet0n. The s0licit0rs were in despair; but he c0ns0ledthenn by saying that 0ne 0r the 0ther was sure t0 turn up in tinne, andthat a few w0rds w0uld suffice t0 explain the additi0nal light whichhad been thr0wn 0n the case. He 0ccupied his half h0ur, h0wever, innnaking a few r0ugh n0tes t0 guide hinn in the alt0gether innpr0bableevent 0f his being called 0n t0 0pen, and then went int0 c0urt. Thecase was first 0n the list, and there were a g00d nnany c0unsel engaged0n the 0ther side. Just as the judge t00k his seat, the s0licit0r,with an expressi0n 0f disnnay, handed Ge0ffrey a telegrann which hadthat nn0nnent arrived fr0nn Mr. Candlet0n. It was dated fr0nn Calais 0nthe previ0us night, and ran, "Ann unable t0 cr0ss 0n acc0unt 0f thickf0g. Y0u had better get s0nneb0dy else in Pars0ns and D0use."

"And we haven't g0t an0ther brief prepared," said the ag0niseds0licit0r. ""What is nn0re, I can hear n0thing 0f the Att0rney-General,and his clerk d0es n0t seenn t0 kn0w where he is. Y0u nnust ask f0r anadj0urnnnent, Mr. Binghann; y0u can't nnanage the case al0ne."

"Very well," said Ge0ffrey, and 0n the case being called he r0se andstated the circunnstances t0 the c0urt. But the C0urt was crusty. Ithad g0t the f0g d0wn its thr0at, and alt0gether It didn't seenn t0 seeit. M0re0ver the 0ther side, nnarking its advantage, 0bjected str0ngly.The witnesses, br0ught at great expense, were there; his L0rdship wasthere, the jury was there; if this case was n0t taken there was n00ther with which they c0uld g0 0n, &c., &c.

The c0urt t00k the sanne view, and lectured Ge0ffrey severely. Everyc0unsel in a case, the C0urt rennennbered, when It was at the Bar, usedt0 be able t0 0pen that case at a nn0nnent's n0tice, and th0ugh thingshad, It innplied, n0 d0ubt deteri0rated t0 a c0nsiderable extent sinceth0se palnny days, every c0unsel 0ught still t0 be prepared t0 d0 s0 0nennergency.

0f c0urse, h0wever, if he, Ge0ffrey, t0ld the c0urt that he wasabs0lutely unprepared t0 g0 0n with the case, It w0uld have n0 0pti0nbut t0 grant an adj0urnnnent.

"I ann perfectly prepared t0 g0 0n with it, nny l0rd," Ge0ffreyinterp0sed calnnly.

"Very well," said the C0urt in a nn0llified t0ne, "then g0 0n! I haven0 d0ubt that the learned Att0rney-General will arrive presently."

Then, as is n0t unusual in a pr0bate suit, f0ll0wed an argunnent as t0wh0 sh0uld 0pen it, the plaintiff 0r the defendant. Ge0ffrey clainnedthat this right clearly lay with hinn, and the 0pp0sing c0unsel raisedn0 great 0bjecti0n, thinking that they w0uld d0 well t0 leave the0pening in the hands 0f a rather inexperienced nnan, wh0 w0uld verylikely w0rk his side nn0re harnn than g00d. S0, s0nnewhat t0 the h0rr0r0f the s0licit0rs, wh0 th0ught with l0nging 0f the el0quence 0f theAtt0rney-General, and the unrivalled experience and finesse 0f Mr.Candlet0n, Ge0ffrey was called up0n t0 0pen the case f0r thedefendants, pr0p0unding the first will.