"Perhaps we've had about enough for to-day, Michael," I said. "Go to
Court to-morrow and listen to some witnesses testify. You'll soon get
the idea. Then come down to the office in the afternoon and I'll have
some questions written out so that you'll know about what you're to be
asked. There's nothing like thorough preparation. By the way, do you
want to add anything to the affidavit? The facts are all right as far as
they go, I suppose?"
Clancy hesitated, wiped his mouth once or twice--smiled out of the
window and ended by a general shift of his bulk. But he did not speak.
"What is it?" I asked encouragingly.
A gesture of disclaimer, almost coy this time, prefaced his reply.
"Shure Oi don't loike ter throuble you, Sorr, an' 'tis as loike as not
to be wan av thim deetales you was spakin' av----"
"Never mind, what is it?"
"Well, Sorr, Oi don't seem ter call ter moinde th' lad thot's been
afther sayin' an' doin' some av thim things."
The excitement had evidently been too much for Michael's head, but to
soothe him I asked,
"What lad, Clancy?"
"Daypont, Sorr."
"Daypont?" I repeated.
Then I picked up the affidavit, and light dawned upon me.
"You don't mean _deponent_, do you?"
"'Tis the same, Sorr--Shure he niver wurrked fer thim in all me toime."
A penholder broke, but I slowly minced a blotter before I trusted myself
to explain.
"Deponent means you, Clancy."
"Is ut me?"
"Certainly. For instance----" here I picked up the affidavit.--"This
reads '_Deponent did not erect said shelf_', and that means, you did not
erect it,----"
"But Begorra, that's just what Oi did, Sorr----"
"What!" I shrieked.
"Oi builded----"
"You built the shelf that fell?"
My voice was desperately calm but the pencil in my hands was playing a
tattoo on the desk.
"Shure, Oi did, Sorr."
"Then why in the name of common sense, man, didn't you say so before?" I
burst out.
"Shure Oi didn't loike ter throuble yiz, an' you readin' it out so
beautiful-loike. An' faith, Oi thought 'twas some scut av a Daypont you
wuz spakin' av as not doin'----"
Clancy looked at me and my face must have been awesome, for he stopped
with mouth agape.
"_Nor was the merchandise upon said shelf placed there by deponent?_" I
read inquiringly.
"'Twas Oi that put ut there av a Friday marnin,' Sorr, an'----"
"_Deponent further avers_," I continued with fearful calm, "_that he
never knew the said shelf was unsafe?_"
"Shure 'twas the day befure Oi was spakin' to th' Super, an' ses Oi to
him--O'Toole, ses Oi, the shilf foreninst the dure is broke, ses Oi, but
Oi've stooffed a bit of sthick in fur a nail, ses Oi, an' 'twill holt
good an' ut don't come down, Oi ses. Moike, ses he----"
"For Heaven's sake man, stop! You must have known all this two years
ago--why didn't you speak then?"
"'Twas afraid av throublin' yiz with deetales Oi wuz. Do ut make any
difference, Sorr?"
"Difference!" I burst out. "Your case is absurd--utterly impossible and
absurd! Why, man--you haven't got a leg to stand on!"
Clancy looked at his feet for a moment.
"'Tis me spoine----" he began.
Then he stopped and smiled.
"'Tis for you to know, Sorr," he added, sadly.