Next day the insular newspapers announced that the new Deemster, on
his return home from Castletown, after the ceremony of his
swearing-in, had had a sudden seizure. A heavy fall had been heard
by the servants, and they had found their master lying on the floor
of the library, unconscious.
Early in the morning Robbie Creer had driven into town for Dr.
Clucas, who had ordered rest--absolute rest.
"We must have three full days in bed, Mr. Stowell, Sir. And if it is
necessary to postpone the Court of General Gaol Delivery, I think
.... I really think we must ask his Excellency to do so."
Stowell drew a deep breath and fell asleep. When he awoke it was
mid-day. He was in bed in his father's bedroom and Fenella was
sitting by his side, holding his hand. After he had opened his eyes
she leaned over him and kissed him, saying in a soft voice that he
would soon be better.
"It was that oath-taking, dear. I could see you were taking it too
seriously."
His heart was still warm with the embraces of yesterday, yet he tried
in vain to kiss her back. But he laughed a little and made light of
his seizure. It was nothing, but a little dizziness; he would be
about again in a day or two.
"Would you like me to stay and nurse you?"
"No, no! .... I mean you needn't...."
His stammering broke down and his face gloomed, but with a quick
smile she said,
"Oh, very well, Sir, if you won't have me, Janet will take care of
you, and send me a telegram night and morning to say how you are.
Won't you, Janet?"
From some unseen place behind the curtains of the four-poster, Janet,
snuffling and blowing her nose, answered that she would.
"And now I'll be wishing you good-morning, Sir," said Fenella, making
(after another kiss) a stately curtsey to him as he lay in bed.
The sounds of the wheels of the Governor's carriage having died off
on the drive, Stowell found himself alone and face to face with a
tragic problem--what was he to do about the trial of Bessie Collister?
This, then, was the case Fenella had written about while he was in
London. Why had he not thought of it before? He could not pretend
that he had never had misgivings. Again and again the evil shadow of
a dread possibility had crossed his mind like a vanishing dream at
the moment of awakening.
He had put it aside, banished it, explained it away to himself. In
the fullness of his happiness he had even forgotten it altogether.
But Nature did not forget. And now his sin had fallen on him like an
avalanche--fallen as only an avalanche falls, when the sky is blue,
the air is warm and the sun is shining.
He had no doubt about Bessie's guilt. But what about his own? And
if he were guilty (in the second degree), being the first cause of
the girl's crime, how could he sit in judgment upon her?
To try his own victim, to question her, to go through the mockery of
weighing the evidence against her, to condemn her, to sentence
her--it would be impossible, utterly impossible, contrary to all
legal usage, a violation of the spirit if not the letter of his oath
in his first hour as a Judge.
And then the human side of it--the terror, the peril! That poor girl
in the dock, in the depths of her shame and the throes of her
temptation, while he, her fellow sinner....
No, no, no! It would not only be a crime against Justice; it would
be a sin against God.
Joshua Scarff came in the afternoon. Standing by the bed, and
looking down through his dark spectacles, he said,
"This is a pity, your Honour! A great pity! Such interesting cases!
Your Honour must have wished to study them before sitting in Court."
"Joshua," said Stowell (he was breathing hard and speaking with
difficulty), "go to Deemster Taubman, tell him what has happened, and
say that if, as a great favour, he can take the Court next week, I
shall be eternally grateful."
The Deemster's clerk was almost speechless with dismay. His Honour's
first Court! Pity! Great pity!
But Stowell felt an immense relief. Thank God, there was another
Deemster to fall back upon. He need not break the spirit of his
oath. Bad as the event was at the best, at least there need be no
Conflict between his private interests and his public duty.