The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-11-28
LAWYER With Two Characters.

| Lawyer wO SOdtacteISs
One cold evening in November, two ye1Rl
ago, man wrapped in a large cloak, kno@
ed at the door Of Mons. Dupiu, one of ~
most able advocates OF Paris He enter11
and drawing from nuder his cloak lasn
| package Of documents, laid them on the -
/ ble. rs
Monsieur" said he, "I am rich, but !
! law suit which is commenced against ri
may r,Ih me utterly. At my age a lost ~.
tune is not to be rcmade. The loss Of thit
suit, therefore, would condemn me to ths
most frightfnl misery. l came to implors
your aid. Here are the papers which cx
plain my claims.
The advocate listened attentively, while
his unknown visitor thus briefly explained
bus rusiness. Then opening the bundle ol
documents he went through them with the
searching rapidity of his professional eye
They were at last laid on the table.
The action which is commenced against
you for this property" said he. "is based
upon justice and right, legal and moral
The property belongs to your opponent. -
But unfortunately, in spite of The admirable
elaboration Of our code, law and justice do
not always go together, and here the law is
on your side. II, therefore, you rest your
case entirely on the law, and use, without
reserve, all its technicalites and quibble /;
and illegal points in your favor are stated
clearly to the court, you will inevitably gain
your case"
"No man living" said the stranger, "can
do what you thus describe, SO ably as your
self. Might | venture TO hope that you
would reduce your opinion to writing, and
thus render me invulnerabe.
The advocate reflected for a minute or
two, and then taking up again the docu-
ments, which At the first word of the re-
que he bad roughly pushed away, he said
he would do as the stranger wished. On
the MORROW, at the same hour, the legal
opinion would he ready.
The client was punctual. The paper was
presented 10 him, accompanied with a de-
mand, very abruptly made, for fee of three
thousand frucs,
he stood mute with as:onishment
''Y u re at Liberty to keep your money
sail tie lawyer, "and am at liberty to throw
my written opinion in the fire, and, advan-
eng toward the chimney, apparently for
that purpose, he was stopped by tho visitor.
II will pay the sum-" he said: but |
must give you written acceptance for it,"
The moaey in gold, SAID the advocate,
- or you shall not have re line"
The client saw that ii was inevitable, and
lnking his leave fer moment, he returned
soon after with the coin. lie paid il, but
IN revenge, after ginning ms cause, he told
the story i'm every corn,r Of Paris-the Jour
naIs go: hold of It. 1t was soon universal
az the name and fame of the great lawyer
himself. Lancnts were made by the editor
over the gra>piug advantage taken Of n eli
,nt in his extremity, and even friends ex
pressed their regrets to him for his betrayal
OF avarice. But hc simply shrugged his
shoulders; aud aS everything IS SOON forgot,
Ten IN PARIS, il was finally passed ou. Of the
remembrance of the pubic
Ten years wedt by, and a few days since
It a celebration at which the .ligni,aries Of
the court Of Law formed a part, the process
>io- WAS interrupted by a woman, who sud
denly sprang from the crowd and iranticai
y seized the hand Of Mons. Dupin. the Pro
cu err General.
Il, is he, It is hei" she exclaimed, as
hurst into tears. and covered his hand with
kisses; Tins i my benefac,or. my friend.
the angel hy whose timely Kindness was
sa-ad froIs, min. and spared TO educate my
dear children"
Poor won,au," sa;i u. Dupn, "she has
lost her reason"
Bu, no, she insisted on explaining to the
hvS,nndcrs that there was reason n her
t-ars and gra;itud,. She stated it brokenly.
Ten wears ago, after the death Of her nus
band, claim was put in 10y relative for
the property on which she had relied to sup
port and educate her children. She resolv-
eel TO defend her possession, OF that when
she knew to lac her own. and had already
sold half her furniture to commence the pro-
cess, when. one day. stranger called on
her. He abruptly announced his business.
lie told ilcr that the suit, for which she was
runni, gs'ready into expense, would oe
losing one-that the law was aga nst her,
though Justice was on her side; that she
had better abandon If, and save what she
yet possessed.
He then added that. from having beer
employed on the case, he had been able to
rescue some portion Of what was wrongtuiiy
taken from her, and that it was contained
in the bag Of gold which he laid on the Ia
hle-ahruptly taking his leave, and giving
his aS,0aiShed friend no time for thanks o'
inquiry. The three thousand francs with
which she was enriched enabled her to re
establish herself with her children and &c
commence timely support Of them. And
from that day she had been trying in vain to
discover who was her benefactor. But his
features were craven on ner near, anu tDahh
the Lord. she recognized and was able tct
,hany him now.
And 50, after ten years Of misrepresentation
Mons. Dupin's "grasping avarice" was ex-i
plained to his legal brethren and the pub
lie as quite another thing. Like some 9TH
er individuals he had two characters-onet
which the newspapers made him out to be,
and another character, and different one
that which he was. 4