The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-10

he was rather short man, with a larxe
pair OF spectacles, through which his eyes
seemed tOstare out. How he was dressed
or what he was otherwise like Con-
stance did not at the moment know. Her
gaze was riveted on his head. Never in
her life had she seen such extraordinary
hair. To begin with, il was almost white /:
on the top it seemed to stand straight up
and then there were four regular stiff
curls that went right round the head. As
he rose she saw there were two little stiff
pigtails down the back, and a black patch
IN the very center of the scalp. A moment
later she precived that this extraordinary
head gear was a wig, and that it was
considerably awry. Surely this must be a
mailman. No one in his senses could wear
such an astonishing wig. She glanced
nervously at Madame Duport, but saw 70
her surprise that she was unmoved at the
spectacle.
81 am glad to see you, ladies'" he said,
IN short and busineSS-like manner, "pray
sit down. Oh, there is nowhere to sit, see
please take this chair" aud hs pushed the
one on which he had been sitting toward
Constance. ri don't often have two visitors
to gether," he went on. Ferris mas told
me all about your cass; glad to do anything
l can to help you. Not very busy, you
see, worse luck, now let me hear your ideas, ="
and tumbling the books off the third CT air
seated himself behind the table, and dipped
pen into the ink and prepared to take notes.
zone moment, If you will excuse me,n he
said, touching bell UPON the table. Then
the clerk entered and received some orders
as to papers that had to be taken over co
solicitor. The lad then stepped up 10 Mr.
Harbut and whispered something in his ear
"Wigm the latter exclaimed in surprise
"bless me, had quite forgotten had it on.
was just going to the Court wnen you
were announced, Madame Duport, and put
my wig on, you see, and had just taken up
my gown. threw that down and forgot
all about the wig" and he removed the
article that had excited such surpri'e in
the mind of Constance Corbyn and after
looking round and seeing no place available
for it, threw it into the waste paper basket.
de then took oil his spec,acles and laid them
on the table beside him. Constance now
perceived that this wig formed a portion of
a legal outfit, aud was relived from the ap-
prehsnsion that she had at first entertained
es to the sanity of the gentleman upon
whose advice she would have so much to de-
pend. He now appeared to her a young. in
deed, rather boyish-looking parsonage,
with short cut but rather wavy hair on his
| head, and a smooth face characterized by an
expression of fun and humor.
LET me see. Yes, this is the outline of
| the case my friend, James Ferris has given
me: Mr.. and Mrs. Corbyn arrived at St.
| Malo in September, 1850, took up abode at
| Madame Duports two months later
| daughter Constance was born. Register at
Marie as daughter of Algernon Corbyn
| and Constance Corbyn, nee Constance Pur-
| cell. Mother died few days after birth of
| child. MIR. Corbyn left daughter in charge
of Madame Dup)r5; was in tae habit IF CON
ing over once a. year to see her. Mads allow
ance for her maintenanc9 and educ alton.
No % hna l.
| mother. Upon the occasion OF last visit
said that he should probably when ne next
came take her away and place her at the
| head of his establi, hment. No papers or
| documents of any kind in the possession of
| Madame Duport or Miss Corbyn. Madame
Duport states that in colversati0l with
| Constance Corbyn, sen or, that lady alluded
to the marriage, and Madame Duport is con-
| WINGED that such marriage lad taken place.
''Now those are the notes Miss Corbyn,
that | took when my friend, James Ferris,
| told me the story. Now before you begin |
wish to tell you that my position in this
case is irregular. The legal profession of
| this country is divided into two parts the
| one consists of solicitors, whose business 1t
| is, among other things, to work up cases,
| investigate deeds, and so on; they submit
the cases for the opinion OF men belonging
TO the other branch of the profession, who
| are called counsel or barristerS. They take
| the case as handed to them by the solicitor
| get up precedents, and argue the case i'll
| court; they only work, You see, when SCI in
motion by the solicitors, and it is entirely
| opposed to the etiqustte of the profession
| that they should be IN direct communication
with their clients. Thus. if am to do any
thing to help you in this matter,
| which | can assure you | desire to do.
partly because l feel fatUered that Ferris
| has had the acumen to select me for the
business; secondly, because | regard it as an
| extremely interesting case; aud in the third
place, if you will permit me to say so, be-
| cause now that have the pleasure of seeing
you, Miss Corbyn, fell that we shall work
satisfactorily together"
THAT is French, rather than English, is
it notT Constance asked, with a little
smile.
swell, yes, suppose it is, Miss Corbyn,
| but 1t occurred to me at the time, and
| generally say what | think. The pith Of
| what l am getting to 10 this: You sse, ac-
cording to the rules of my profession. this is
| not the business that a barrister caa under
take for a client, and therefore, If you
after thinking the matter over, agree to put
| it in my hands rather than those of s0lici-
tor, il Is absolu 5ely necessary that you should
not stand in the position OF client but of
a friend. Do you UNDERESTIMATE
"But do you mean, SIR" Constance said,
AFTER pause, 'Onab you are Uo"-anQ she
hesitated-''receive no payment for your
professional servicesF'
THAT is exactly what l mean, Miss Cor
byn," Mr.. Harbut replied, briskly. "I on
see, | could not take payment for such
work. it would be uuprofessional altogether.
l might be complained of, disbarred, and
suffer all sorts of hideous penalties for IN
| professional conduct"
81 don't see," the girl began, "that we
could anyhow" and she looked appealingly
at Madame Duport.
but we have funds to meet all ex-
penses, monsieur" Annette said; 'we have
come to England prepared to spend
| money"
mo doubt, and you will have to spend
money, and that pre- ty freely, before you
have done, madame" Robert Harbut re-
piled. you will want every half-penny
you have got, you can take my word for it,
! OF course, if you would rather 60 to a
solicitor and spend on him a good slice of
the money that might be much more USE
fully spent in other directions you can do
50, but in that case | am bound TO say that
| consider the very high opinion that Fer
ris expressed to me of Mss Corbyn's good
sense will be by no means justified"
"But do not see how we could possibly
accept such n service at the hanis OF
stranger Constance said, hesitatingly.
"Well, / shall be disappointed if you do
| not Miss COrbVn Ferris knows that SO far