Chapter Twenty-One

A Jewel of a Husband

 

The judge rose for lunch immediately afterwards and Roger, as he had been bidden, took his mother to see him in his room.

‘What do I call him?’ she asked. ‘I’ve never met a judge before. I don’t want to do the wrong thing. I’d hate to disgrace you.’

‘You call him “Sir Stuart,” said Roger. ‘I call him “Judge,” I think.’

They went to the judge’s room.

‘I would like to congratulate you again,’ he said to Roger’s mother, ‘on the very brilliant beginning your son has made. He will go a very long way and you should be very proud of him.’

‘Thank you very much,’ she said. ‘I’m so glad he was able to be of some use.’

‘Mother’s never been to the Old Bailey before,’ said Roger quickly.

‘No,’ said Mrs Thursby. ‘I found it most interesting, and the flowers and herbs and things give it such a friendly, cosy air. Even the prisoner can’t mind too much in such a charming atmosphere. It’s more like a garden party really.’

‘I’m not sure,’ said the judge, ‘that our invitations are always as welcome.’

‘As a matter of fact,’ said Mrs Thursby. ‘I nearly mislaid mine and it was only by chance that I got here at all. Would you have been very angry if I hadn’t come?’

‘I’m afraid my mother doesn’t quite appreciate the seriousness of a jury summons, Judge,’ said Roger hurriedly. ‘I’ll make sure she knows next time. If I’d known this time, it wouldn’t have happened. It was a dreadful shock for me when I saw her in the jury box.’

‘Well, all’s well that ends well,’ said the judge. ‘Is this your first visit to the Old Bailey?’ he added.

‘I’ve been coming here with Grimes for several days. I’m his pupil, Judge,’ said Roger.

‘Indeed?’ said the judge. ‘A remarkably fine piece of cross-examination for a pupil. Quite the best I’ve heard.’

‘Thank you very much indeed,’ said Roger, ‘and thank you, too, for being so nice to me.’

‘I’m not sure about that,’ said the judge, ‘but I’ll try to make up for what happened earlier if you’ll come and see me at the end of the day. I’ll send these flowers to your mother.’ He indicated the bouquet which went into Court with him. ‘That is, if she’d do me the honour of accepting them.’

‘Oh, Sir Stuart, that is most kind,’ said Mrs Thursby. ‘I shall be thrilled. I’ve never had flowers from a judge before. Oh, yes, I did once now I come to think of it. My husband knew one of the judges who gave licences and things to public houses. He sent me some carnations. I suppose you do that too.’

‘Licensing justices,’ said the judge, not entirely pleased at the comparison. ‘No, that is rather different. Well, I’m very glad to have met you and once again I congratulate you upon your son,’ and he got up to indicate that the interview was at an end.

None too soon, thought Roger. I wonder what else mother might have said. He took her out to lunch, then she went home and he returned to Court.

The first case he heard after lunch was a plea of Guilty by a woman who had run away from her husband and married someone else. She was charged with bigamy and obtaining credit by fraud from a boarding house where they’d spent their bigamous honeymoon. The judge sent the man to prison and then proceeded to deal with the woman. He was informed that her husband was prepared to take her back again.

‘You’re a very wicked woman,’ he said to the weeping prisoner. ‘You have a jewel of a husband–’ he stopped in the middle. ‘Let him come forward,’ he added.

A moment later the prisoner’s husband went into the witness box.

‘A jewel of a husband,’ repeated the judge. ‘Now, Mr Grant,’ he said, looking in the most friendly manner at the husband, ‘I understand you’re prepared to take your wife back in spite of everything. Magnificent. That is so, isn’t it?’

‘My heart’s full,’ said the man.

‘Quite so,’ said the judge. ‘He very properly says that his heart is full. Most proper. A jewel of a husband. But you are prepared to take her back?’

‘My heart’s full,’ repeated the husband.

‘Quite so,’ said the judge still beaming at him. ‘We all understand that. Very natural. But you are prepared to take her back?’

The man did not answer for a moment.

The judge’s brow started to cloud ever so slightly.

‘You are prepared to take her back?’ he repeated.

‘My heart’s–’ began the man.

‘Yes, yes, I know. Very proper. But you are prepared to take her back?’

‘Full,’ said the man.

‘Mr Grant,’ said the judge in less kindly tones. ‘Would you be good enough to answer my question?’

‘Very difficult, my Lord,’ said the man. ‘My heart’s full.’

‘Look here,’ said the judge, his patience rapidly becoming exhausted, ‘are you prepared to take her back or not?’

‘If you say so, my Lord,’ said the man.

‘It’s not for me to say one way or the other. She’s your wife and it’s for you to make up your mind. If you don’t take her back I shall probably send her to prison.’

‘How long for?’ said the man.

‘Don’t ask me questions,’ said the judge.

The man remained silent.

‘Well, which is it to be?’ said the judge. ‘We can’t wait all night for you.’

Still no answer.

‘Well?’ the judge almost shouted.

Roger reflected that the case had now progressed some way from the ‘jewel of a husband’ stage.

‘I don’t think six months would do her any harm,’ said the man, ‘and it would give me time to think.’

‘Now look,’ said the judge, ‘when you married this woman you took her for better or worse.’

‘It seems to have been worse,’ said the man.

‘Will you be quiet while I’m speaking,’ said the judge angrily. ‘Have you never heard of charity?’

‘Charity,’ said the man, ‘begins at home. She left home.’

‘I’m not going to argue with you,’ said the judge. ‘If you lack all decent feeling, I can’t give it to you, but, if you don’t forgive her, it may be on your conscience for the rest of your life.’

‘What about her conscience?’ said the man. ‘How would you like your wife to go running off with the lodger?’

‘Take that man away,’ said the judge, and the husband left the witness box.

‘Now, Margaret Grant, I’m not going to send you to prison. Dry your eyes and listen. You’ve behaved very stupidly – yes – and wickedly, but the exact circumstances of your married life are known only to you, and the man who was just standing in the witness box.’

The woman opened her mouth as though to speak.

‘Yes, what is it?’ asked the judge. ‘You want to say something?’

‘Only this, my Lord,’ faltered the woman.

‘Yes?’ said the judge in a kind, encouraging tone.

‘He’s a jewel of a husband, my Lord.’

I’m glad I stayed, thought Roger.