Evening at Home 37
This was meant as a sequel of that very pleasing and ingenious little
work, entitled _Juvenile Trials_, in which a Court of Justice is
supposed to be instituted in a boarding-school, composed of the
scholars themselves, for the purpose of trying offences committed at
school.
The judge having heard Mrs. Careful’s story, desired her to sit down;
and then calling up Master Luckless, asked him what he had to say for
himself. Luckless appeared with his face a good deal scratched, and
looking very ruefully. After making his bow, and sobbing two or three
times, he said:—
“My lord, I am as innocent of this matter as any boy in the school, and
I am sure I have suffered enough about it already. My lord, Billy
Thompson and I were playing in the lane near Mrs. Careful’s house, when
we heard the window crash; and directly after she came running out
toward us. Upon this, Billy ran away, and I ran too, thinking I might
bear the blame. But after running a little way, I stumbled over
something that lay in the road, and before I could get up again she
overtook me, and caught me by the hair, and began lugging and cuffing
me. I told her it was not I that broke her window, but it did not
signify; so she dragged me to the light, lugging and scratching me all
the while, and then said she would inform against me; and that is all I
know of the matter.”
_Judge._ I find, good woman, you were willing to revenge yourself,
without waiting for the justice of this court.
_Widow Careful._ My lord, I confess I was put into a passion, and did
not properly consider what I was doing.
_Jud._ Well, where is Billy Thompson?
_Billy._ Here, my lord.
_Jud._ You have heard what Harry Luckless says. Declare upon your honour
whether he has spoken the truth.
_Bil._ My lord, I am sure neither he nor I had any concern in breaking
the window. We were standing together at the time, and I ran on hearing
the door open, for fear of being charged with it, and he followed. But
what became of him I did not stay to see.
_Jud._ So you let your friend shift for himself, and only thought of
saving yourself. But did you see any other person about the house or in
the lane?
_Bil._ My lord, I thought I heard somebody on the other side of the
hedge, creeping along, a little before the window was broken, but I saw
nobody.
_Jud._ You hear, good woman, what is alleged in behalf of the person you
have accused. Have you any other evidence against him?
_Wid._ One might be sure that they would deny it, and tell lies for one
another; but I hope I am not to be put off in that manner.
_Jud._ I must tell you, mistress, that you give too much liberty to your
tongue, and are guilty of as much injustice as that of which you
complain, I should be sorry, indeed, if the young gentlemen of this
school deserved the general character of liars. You will find among us,
I hope, as just a sense of what is right and honourable, as among those
who are older; and our worthy master certainly would not permit us to
try offences in this manner, if he thought us capable of bearing false
witness in each other’s favour.
_Wid._ I ask your lordship’s pardon, I did not mean to offend: but it is
a heavy loss for a poor woman, and though I did not catch the boy in the
fact, he was the nearest when it was done.
_Jud._ As this is no more than a suspicion, and he has the positive
evidence of his schoolfellow in his favour, it will be impossible to
convict him, consistently with the rules of justice. Have you discovered
any other circumstance that may point out the offender?
_Wid._ My lord, next morning Jack found on the floor this top, which I
suppose the window was broken with.
_Jud._ Hand it up—here, gentlemen of the jury, please to examine it, and
see if you can discover anything of its owner.
_Juryman._ Here is P. R. cut upon it.
_Another._ Yes, and I am sure I remember Peter Riot’s having just such a
one.
_Another._ So do I.
_Jud._ Master Riot, is this your top?
_Riot._ I don’t know, my lord, perhaps it may be mine; I have had a
great many tops, and when I have done with them, I throw them away, and
anybody may pick them up that pleases. You see it has lost its peg.
_Jud._ Very well, sir. Mrs. Careful, you may retire.
_Wid._ And must I have no amends, my lord?
_Jud._ Have patience. Leave everything to the court. We shall do you all
the justice in our power.
As soon as the widow was gone, the judge rose from his seat, and with
much solemnity thus addressed the assembly:—
“Gentlemen,—this business, I confess, gives me much dissatisfaction. A
poor woman has been insulted and injured in her property, apparently
without provocation; and though she has not been able to convict the
offender, it cannot be doubted that she, as well as the world in
general, will impute the crime to some of our society. Though I am in my
own mind convinced that in her passion she charged an innocent person,
yet the circumstance of the top is a strong suspicion, indeed almost a
proof, that the perpetrator of this unmanly mischief was one of our
body. The owner of the top has justly observed, that its having been his
property is no certain proof against him. Since, therefore, in the
present defect of evidence, the whole school must remain burdened with
the discredit of this action, and share in the guilt of it, I think fit,
in the first place, to decree, that restitution shall be made to the
sufferer out of the public chest; and next that a court of inquiry be
instituted for the express purpose of searching thoroughly into this
affair, with power to examine all persons upon honour who are thought
likely to be able to throw light upon it. I hope, gentlemen, these
measures meet with your concurrence?”
The whole court bowed to the judge, and expressed their entire
satisfaction with his determination.
It was then ordered that the public treasurer should go to the Widow
Careful’s house, any pay her the sum of one shilling, making at the same
time a handsome apology in the name of the school. And six persons were
taken by lot out of the jury to compose the court of inquiry, which was
to sit in the evening.
The court then adjourned.
On the meeting of the court of inquiry, the first thing proposed by the
president, was, that the persons who usually played with Master Riot
should be sent for. Accordingly Tom Frisk and Bob Loiter were summoned,
when the president asked them upon their honour if they knew the top to
have been Riot’s. They said they did. They were then asked whether they
remembered when Riot had it in his possession?
_Frisk._ He had it the day before yesterday, and split a top of mine
with it.
_Loiter._ Yes, and then, as he was making a stroke at mine, the peg flew
out.
_President._ What did he then do with it?
_Fr._ He put it into his pocket, and said, as it was a strong top, he
would have it mended.
_Pres._ Then he did not throw it away, or give it to any body?
_Loit._ No; he pocketed it up, and we saw no more of it.
_Pres._ Do you know of any quarrel he had with Widow Careful?
_Fr._ Yes; a day or two before, he went to her shop for some ginger
bread; but, as he already owed her sixpence, she would not let him have
any till he had paid his debts.
_Pres._ How did he take the disappointment?
_Fr._ He said he would be revenged on her.
_Pres._ Are you sure he used such words?
_Fr._ Yes; Loiter heard him as well as myself.
_Loit._ I did, sir.
_Pres._ Do either of you know any more of this affair?
_Both._ No, sir.
_Pres._ You may go.
The President now observed that these witnesses had done a great deal in
establishing proofs against Riot; for it was now pretty certain that no
one but himself could have been in possession of the top at the time the
crime was committed; and also it appeared that he had declared a
malicious intention against the woman, which it was highly probable he
would put into execution.—As the court were debating about the next step
to be taken, they were acquainted that Jack, the widow’s son, was
waiting at the school-door for admission; and a person being sent out
for him, Riot was found threatening the boy, and bidding him go home
about his business. The boy, however, was conveyed safely into the room,
when he thus addressed himself to the president:—
_Jack._ Sir, and please your worship, as I was looking about this
morning for sticks in the hedge over against our house, I found this
buckle. So I thought to myself, sure this must belong to the rascal that
broke our windows. So I have brought it to see if anybody in the school
would own it.
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