* * * *

One evening, after a good hard day's work, I was sitting in my
easy-chair after dinner, comfortably enjoying myself, when a man, who
was quite a respectable working man, came in. I had known him for a
considerable time.

"What's the matter, Jenkins?" I inquired, seeing he was somewhat
troubled.

"Well, Mr. Hawkins, it's a terrible job, this 'ere. I wants you to
appear for me."

"Where?" I inquired.

"At Bow Street, Mr. Hawkins."

"Bow Street! What have you been doing, Jenkins?"

"Why, nothing, sir; but it's a put-up job. You knows my James, I
dessay. Well, sir, that there boy, my son James, have been brought up,
I might say, on the Church Catechism."

"There's not much in that," I said, meaning nothing they could take
him to Bow Street for. "Is that the charge against him?"

"No, sir; but from a babby, sir, his poor mother have brought that
there boy up to speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the
truth. And it's a curious thing, Mr. Hawkins--a very curious thing,
sir--that arter all his poor mother's care and James's desire to speak
the truth, they've gone and charged that there boy with perjury! 'At
all times,' says his mother, 'James, speak the truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth;' and this is what it's come to--would
anybody believe it, sir? _Could_ anybody believe it? It's enough to
make anybody disbelieve in Christianity. And what's more, sir, that
there boy was so eager at all times to tell the whole truth that, to
make quite sure he told it all, he'd go a little beyond on the other
side, sir--he would, indeed."

When he heard my fee was a hundred guineas to appear at the police
court, I heard no more of truthful James.

* * * * *

In dealing with a case where there is really no substantial defence,
it is sometimes necessary to throw a little ridicule over the
proceedings, taking care, first, to see what is the humour of the
jury. I remember trying this with great success, and reducing a
verdict which might have been considerable to a comparatively trifling
amount.

[In illustration of this Mr. Cecil A. Coward has given an incident
that occurred in an action for slander tried at the Guildhall many
years ago, in which Mr. Hawkins, Q.C., was for the defendant, and Mr.
Joseph Brown, Q.C., for the plaintiff. The slander consisted in the
defendant pointing his thumb over his shoulder and asking another man,
"Do yo