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.Since their arrival in Charleston, some weeks ago now, he and Robert had been kept in such seclusion they had occasionally wondered whether they were not actually the prisoners.And even within the walled and sentried privacy of the Administrator's House, they had heard the chanting of the crowds in the streets, whipped up by the plantocracy, who had indeed closed ranks behind the member of their privileged order who was being assailed, marching back and forth denouncing the abolitionists and emancipators as enemies to order and prosperity, and crying out the name of Hodge.Why, should he be acquitted here, the man would be an immediate hero.As he was no doubt well aware, Matt thought.But now Mr.Malahine was waiting for him, willing him to concentrate.They were in a unique position.Matt could add nothing to what had already been said, but he had brought the original indictment, and everyone in the room had heard of Gislane; was he not being called by the prosecution, he would certainly have been called as a witness for the defence.'Would you state your full name, and present address, please.''Matthew George Hilton, of Plantation Hilltop, in Jamaica.''Thank you, Mr.Hilton.Are you known to the defendant?''I have never met the defendant,' Matt said.'I know of him.I imagine he knows of me.''Thank you, Mr.Hilton.You are, however, aware that the defendant stands charged with several monstrous crimes?''I am.''Would you tell us how you became aware of them?'He had already been warned to keep his answer precise.'I was approached by Mr.Charles Manton, a gentleman who had previously worked as an overseer on Hodges.''Thank you, Mr.Hilton.Now, of course, you are not in a position to give this court any testimony regarding these alleged crimes.' Mr.Malahine smiled at Mr.Corder, the Defence Counsel, who was poised to stand at the hint of an incorrect question.‘We have, indeed, already heard a considerable recital of the miserable occurrences on Hodges, not only through the depositions of Mr.Manton, who is now unhappily deceased, and of Mistress Nelson, who is unable to be present, but also of various other witnesses.Yet it is of Mr.Manton that I would have you speak.You say he approached you.May I ask why?''With a view to having the defendant prosecuted.''Indeed sir.But why you, in particular?''Because my opposition to the very idea of slavery is well known I would say.''Ah.You were the champion he sought.Yes, indeed, and the result was that you approached the authorities and persuaded them to indict Mr.Hodge.Now, sir, would you tell us how Mr.Manton died.''He was murdered by a mob, in Kingston, but two months ago.''Murdered, you say.Struck down, by a blackguard.Have you an opinion as to what this mob was about?''Their intention appeared to be to prevent Mr.Manton and myself from travelling to Nevis to give evidence in this case.''Ah.A very one-sided mob.Would you suppose they had been instigated to this act?'Mr.Corder was on his feet.‘I must protest, Your Lordship.'Sir Ralph Payne scratched his wig with the tip of his quill; burly and red-faced, the Chief Justice was as much a planter as anyone in the room.‘I am but asking witness for an opinion, Your Lordship.' Mr.Malahine protested in turn.'Which he is surely qualified to give, as he was one of the objectives of this very mob, and was indeed only rescued by a regiment of cavalry.'‘Is that so?' asked Sir Ralph.'None the less, I think you have made the point that the mob intended to prevent Mr.Hilton's departure.To investigate the causes of the crowd gathering would be to embark upon an entirely irrelevant course.Objection sustained.''Very good, My Lord.I have but one more question to ask of you, Mr.Hilton.Your opinion of the man Manton.He had been an overseer, on Hodges, for some time.Until at last events there grew too strong for his stomach.Or so he claims in his deposition.Was he an honest man?' 'In my opinion, yes,' Matt said.'Would you have any reason to suppose that Mr.Manton should lie about his former employer?''No,' Matt said.'In the four years I knew Mr.Manton, I always found him a very reliable fellow.''Thank you, Mr.Hilton.' Mr.Malahine sat down, but immediately took out a large pocket handkerchief to mop his brow.As Mr.Corder rose to his feet an immense rustie went right round the courtroom.Everyone was aware that here was the true crisis of the trial.As indeed Mr.Malahine had warned Matt in advance.And as Mr.Corder clearly intended to illustrate to the jury.For the moment he was smiling, if a trifle sadly.He read from his notes.'Matthew George Hilton,' he remarked.'Yours is a famous name in these islands, sir.'Matt did not consider this to be a question.'Indeed,' said Mr.Corder, 'were a roll call to be taken of every family which has ever planted cane here in the Carribean, the name Hilton would occur very near the top.But more, are you not related to the Warners?''Distantly.''Oh, indeed.Your great-grandmother was a Warner.And that family was the very first to plant cane in the British Islands.One could almost say that cane juice might run in your veins instead of blood, Mr.Hilton.' He smiled, and the court smiled with him.'One might,' Matt agreed.'But you, the very last of this long and famous and indeed glorious line of planters and leaders of planters, have lost interest in the ancient and profitable art.'‘I would prefer to say that my interest has been redirected,' Matt said.'Oh, indeed.How stupid of me.Because if you refuse to manage a sugar plantation yourself, you yet enjoy the luxury offered by your cousin's plantation, which you give as your address.'‘I live there, yes,' Matt said.'Of course.It is your home.And believe me, sir, I have nothing but sympathy for a man who must continually be undergoing the most frightful pangs of conscience.But now, Mr [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.Since their arrival in Charleston, some weeks ago now, he and Robert had been kept in such seclusion they had occasionally wondered whether they were not actually the prisoners.And even within the walled and sentried privacy of the Administrator's House, they had heard the chanting of the crowds in the streets, whipped up by the plantocracy, who had indeed closed ranks behind the member of their privileged order who was being assailed, marching back and forth denouncing the abolitionists and emancipators as enemies to order and prosperity, and crying out the name of Hodge.Why, should he be acquitted here, the man would be an immediate hero.As he was no doubt well aware, Matt thought.But now Mr.Malahine was waiting for him, willing him to concentrate.They were in a unique position.Matt could add nothing to what had already been said, but he had brought the original indictment, and everyone in the room had heard of Gislane; was he not being called by the prosecution, he would certainly have been called as a witness for the defence.'Would you state your full name, and present address, please.''Matthew George Hilton, of Plantation Hilltop, in Jamaica.''Thank you, Mr.Hilton.Are you known to the defendant?''I have never met the defendant,' Matt said.'I know of him.I imagine he knows of me.''Thank you, Mr.Hilton.You are, however, aware that the defendant stands charged with several monstrous crimes?''I am.''Would you tell us how you became aware of them?'He had already been warned to keep his answer precise.'I was approached by Mr.Charles Manton, a gentleman who had previously worked as an overseer on Hodges.''Thank you, Mr.Hilton.Now, of course, you are not in a position to give this court any testimony regarding these alleged crimes.' Mr.Malahine smiled at Mr.Corder, the Defence Counsel, who was poised to stand at the hint of an incorrect question.‘We have, indeed, already heard a considerable recital of the miserable occurrences on Hodges, not only through the depositions of Mr.Manton, who is now unhappily deceased, and of Mistress Nelson, who is unable to be present, but also of various other witnesses.Yet it is of Mr.Manton that I would have you speak.You say he approached you.May I ask why?''With a view to having the defendant prosecuted.''Indeed sir.But why you, in particular?''Because my opposition to the very idea of slavery is well known I would say.''Ah.You were the champion he sought.Yes, indeed, and the result was that you approached the authorities and persuaded them to indict Mr.Hodge.Now, sir, would you tell us how Mr.Manton died.''He was murdered by a mob, in Kingston, but two months ago.''Murdered, you say.Struck down, by a blackguard.Have you an opinion as to what this mob was about?''Their intention appeared to be to prevent Mr.Manton and myself from travelling to Nevis to give evidence in this case.''Ah.A very one-sided mob.Would you suppose they had been instigated to this act?'Mr.Corder was on his feet.‘I must protest, Your Lordship.'Sir Ralph Payne scratched his wig with the tip of his quill; burly and red-faced, the Chief Justice was as much a planter as anyone in the room.‘I am but asking witness for an opinion, Your Lordship.' Mr.Malahine protested in turn.'Which he is surely qualified to give, as he was one of the objectives of this very mob, and was indeed only rescued by a regiment of cavalry.'‘Is that so?' asked Sir Ralph.'None the less, I think you have made the point that the mob intended to prevent Mr.Hilton's departure.To investigate the causes of the crowd gathering would be to embark upon an entirely irrelevant course.Objection sustained.''Very good, My Lord.I have but one more question to ask of you, Mr.Hilton.Your opinion of the man Manton.He had been an overseer, on Hodges, for some time.Until at last events there grew too strong for his stomach.Or so he claims in his deposition.Was he an honest man?' 'In my opinion, yes,' Matt said.'Would you have any reason to suppose that Mr.Manton should lie about his former employer?''No,' Matt said.'In the four years I knew Mr.Manton, I always found him a very reliable fellow.''Thank you, Mr.Hilton.' Mr.Malahine sat down, but immediately took out a large pocket handkerchief to mop his brow.As Mr.Corder rose to his feet an immense rustie went right round the courtroom.Everyone was aware that here was the true crisis of the trial.As indeed Mr.Malahine had warned Matt in advance.And as Mr.Corder clearly intended to illustrate to the jury.For the moment he was smiling, if a trifle sadly.He read from his notes.'Matthew George Hilton,' he remarked.'Yours is a famous name in these islands, sir.'Matt did not consider this to be a question.'Indeed,' said Mr.Corder, 'were a roll call to be taken of every family which has ever planted cane here in the Carribean, the name Hilton would occur very near the top.But more, are you not related to the Warners?''Distantly.''Oh, indeed.Your great-grandmother was a Warner.And that family was the very first to plant cane in the British Islands.One could almost say that cane juice might run in your veins instead of blood, Mr.Hilton.' He smiled, and the court smiled with him.'One might,' Matt agreed.'But you, the very last of this long and famous and indeed glorious line of planters and leaders of planters, have lost interest in the ancient and profitable art.'‘I would prefer to say that my interest has been redirected,' Matt said.'Oh, indeed.How stupid of me.Because if you refuse to manage a sugar plantation yourself, you yet enjoy the luxury offered by your cousin's plantation, which you give as your address.'‘I live there, yes,' Matt said.'Of course.It is your home.And believe me, sir, I have nothing but sympathy for a man who must continually be undergoing the most frightful pangs of conscience.But now, Mr [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]