"MY OWN DEAR FENELLA,--I am so troubled about the young woman who is
to be charged with the murder of her child that (time being short) I
must write at once on the subject. It looks like a case of the
temporary mania which so often prompts women to take life (their own
or their children's) in the hope of avoiding shame.
"God, when I think of it, that in all ages of the world tens of
thousands of women have gone through that fiery furnace and that
never one man since the days of Adam has come within sight of it, I
want to go down on my knees to the meanest and lowest of them as the
martyrs of humanity.
"Infanticide is of course a serious crime in any country, and
especially serious in the Isle of Man now, when the Governor has made
up his mind to show no mercy to persons guilty of fatal violence.
But the killing of a new-born child is usually treated as felonious
homicide. Therefore, if you carry out your intention of standing by
the girl's side, you may safely tell her (in order to save her from
possible shock) that even a verdict of guilty will not mean death.
"How I wish you could plead for the poor thing! But instruct counsel
for the defence and you will really be pleading, and I, for one, if I
am present, will hear your quivering voice in every word he says.
"As for the choice of an Advocate--why not Alick Gell? He has not
had too many chances, poor chap, and it will hearten him (he was
rather down when I saw him last) to be entrusted with a serious case
like this.
"Tell him to look up Galabin and Murrell on Forensic Medicine--he'll
find both in the Law Library. The first step is to make sure that
the poor creature (I assume she is not too well educated) has not
mistaken infanticide for concealment; and the next, to insist on
proof of 'a live birth,' which it is practically impossible to
establish (except on the girl's confession) in a case of solitary
delivery.
"Yes, you are almost certainly right in thinking she is trying to
shield the guilty man, and, criminal though she is, she may be (as
you say) an absolute heroine. In that event I trust it may not fall
to my lot to try her. God save me from sitting in judgment on a
woman who stands silent in her shame to shield the honour of the man
she loves!
"But as for hunting down the guilty man, that (don't you think so?)
is perhaps another matter. If it has to be done at all it is only a
woman--a pure and stainless woman--who has a right to do it. No man
who knows himself, and how near every mother's son of us has been to
the verge of the pit, will be the first to throw a stone. You
remember--'But for the grace of God there goes John Wesley.' Oh, my
darling, how can I ever be grateful enough for what you have done for
me....
* * * * * * *
"Helloa! The page boy has just been up with a letter from the Home
Secretary. 'I have the pleasure to inform you that the King has been
pleased to approve of your appointment to the position of the
Deemster of the Isle of Man....'
"How glorious! Here I have been all day saying to myself, 'Who, in
God's name, are you that you should be Judge over anybody?' and now
I'm glad--damned glad, there is no other word for it.
"I shall telegraph the news to you in a few minutes, but I feel as if
I want to take the first boat home and become my own messenger. That
is impossible, for I have to call on the Lord Chancellor to-morrow
about my Commission. And then I have to see to the transport of my
car, and the purchase of my Judge's wig and gown. But wait, only
wait! Three days more I shall have you in my arms.
"My respectful greetings to the Governor. Say I know how much I owe
to him for this unprecedented appointment. Say, too, I shall hold
myself in readiness for the ceremony of the swearing-in, whenever he
desires it to take place; also for the next Court of General Gaol
Delivery if Deemster Taubman is still down with his rheumatism.
"And now bless you again, dearest, for all your beautiful faith in
me. God helping me, I'll do my best to deserve it. But you must be
my guardian watcher, my sentinel, my star.
"What a dear old world it is, darling! It seems as if there ought to
be no suffering of any kind in it now--now that the sky is so bright
for you and me.
"VICTOR."
"P.S. _Important_. Don't forget to employ Gell in that case of the
girl who killed her baby. Alick's her man. _Mind you, though--he
must compel her to tell him everything._"