"
The judge had revived, and while counsel called the quality of the
undelivered goods in question, and laid stress on the fact of no money
having passed, he turned the pages of a thick red book with a moistened
thumb. Having found what he sought, he pushed up his spectacles, opened
his mouth, and, his eyes bent meditatively on the speaker, picked a back
tooth with the nail of his first finger.
"Therefore," concluded counsel, "I hold that there is no question of
fact to go to the jury. I do not wish to occupy your Lordship's time any
further upon this submission. I have my client here, and all his
witnesses are in court whom I am prepared to call, should your Lordship
decide against me on the present point. But I do submit that the
plaintiff, on his own showing, has made out no case; and that under the
circumstances, upon his own evidence, this action must fail."
At the reference to witnesses, Mahony dug his pencil into the paper till
the point snapped. So this was their little game! And should the bluff
not work . . .? He sat rigid, staring at the chipped fragment of lead,
and did not look up throughout the concluding scene of the farce.
It was over; the judge had decided in his favour. He jumped to his feet,
and his coat-sleeve swept the dust off the entire length of the ledge in
front of him. But before he reached the foot of the stairs Grindle came
flying down, to say that Ocock wished to speak to him. Very good,
replied Mahony, he would call at the office in the course of the
afternoon.
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