Part 8 (1/2)
”I've as much right to be on the jury as you have--perhaps more. Who do you think you are? I pay my way--and I pay my servants too! They don't have to county-court me before they can get their wages. Only the other day I was on a jury when they were county-courting you. So it isn't the first jury I've been on, you see.”
Mr. Moss did not seem pleased. The allusion was to a difference which that gentleman had had with one of his servants, and which had been settled in the county court. Again the foreman drummed upon the board.
”Order, gentlemen, order!”
Mr. Timmins turned to Mr. Hisgard. He winked.
”Have a game at crib, Bob? I knew Jacob would be here, so I came provided!”
He produced a cribbage-board. Once more the foreman interposed.
”Keep to the business we have in hand, please, gentlemen.”
”Oh, they can have their game, I don't mind. Perhaps I came as well provided as anyone else.”
As he replied Jacob took from his pocket a brown paper parcel of considerable dimensions. Tom Elliott, who was sitting by him, instantly s.n.a.t.c.hing it, pa.s.sed it on to Mr. Hisgard.
”Have a sandwich, Mr. Hisgard?”
”No, thank you. But perhaps Mr. Timmins will?”
He pa.s.sed the packet to Mr. Timmins. That gentleman made a feint of opening it. Mr. Longsett, rising from his chair, reached for his property across the table.
”None of that; give it back to me.” Mr. Timmins tossed the packet to the other end of the table.
”Now, Timmins, what do you mean by that? Do you want me to wipe you across the head?”
Mr. Timmins addressed Mr. Grice. ”Now, Mr. Foreman, won't you offer the jury a sandwich each? It is about our dinner-time.”
Mr. Grice eyed the packet in front of him as if he were more than half disposed to act on the suggestion.
”I really don't think, Mr. Longsett, that you ought to eat sandwiches out of a pure spirit of contradiction.”
”Never mind what you think; you give me back my property, or I'll give the whole lot of you in custody.” The parcel was restored to him. He brandished it aloft. ”There you are, you see, a lot of grown men go and steal another man's property, and you treat it as a joke. A mere lad goes and looks at a truss of mouldy hay, and you want to ruin him for life. And you call that justice! You ain't going to get me to take a hand in no such justice, so I tell you straight!”
”It went a little farther than 'looks,' didn't it, Mr. Longsett?
'Looks' won't carry even mouldy hay three miles across country.”
”And 'looks' won't carry my property from where I'm sitting down to where you are! If Jim Bailey's a thief, so's Tom Elliott--there's no getting over that. Why ain't we sitting on him instead of on that there young 'un?”
”See here, Jacob.” Mr. Timmins stretched out towards him his open palm. ”Here's a sporting offer for you: if you'll bring Jim Bailey in guilty, I'll bring in Tom Elliott!”
”I won't bring in neither; the one's no more a thief than the other.”
”Nice for you, Tom, eh?”
”Oh, I don't mind. I know Jacob. It's not the first time a member of your family's been in trouble, is it, Jacob?”
”By----! if you say that again I'll knock the life right out of you!”