Smuggler's Moon Read Online Free Page B

express these doubts to Mr. Eccles?” asked Sir John.
    “No, I did not. His appointment with the Chancellor of the Exchequer intervened. As soon as ever he had unburdened himself against Albert Sarton, he leapt to his feet and announced that he must be off to meet with no less than the Chancellor of the Exchequer himself. I had the awful feeling when he told me that he meant it to impress me.”
    “Surely not,” said Sir John, suppressing a snicker.
    “Well, one does get these suspicions from time to time.”
    “Hmmm, tell me then, what do you wish me to do about all this?”
    “Oh, I think you know. I’d like you to go down there to Deal and meet this Albert Sarton, look at his court records, interview him, ask round town about him, and form your own judgment of him. If it goes against him, then I shall pull him from his post immediately. Even if you have naught but misgivings, I shall remove him. I cannot have the power of one magistrate challenged, for it calls to question the authority of all the rest.”
    Sir John sighed and said nothing for a long moment. At last did he speak up, saying, ”You give me greater right to judge him in this matter than I desire. How long would you say I should devote to this matter?”
    “Oh, a few days, a week at the most.”
    “Well, I doubt I can make an investigation of such importance in such a short time. The future of this Sarton fellow depends upon it, after all.”
    “Then take as long as you must.”
    “I have another objection—a personal one.”
    “All right, let me hear it.”
    “You could not have asked me to go at a worse time. My wife has gone up north to care for her ill mother, who seems near death. Departing thus, she has left me in charge of the two children—the lad here, who offers no problem, and a girl of fifteen, who does. I cannot leave her here, yet even less easily can I bring her with us to Kent.”
    Lord Mansfield considered the matter. ”I would call that a problem,” said he, ”albeit not an insoluble one. Let me tell you what accommodation I can make. I shall find you a place at the residence of Sir Simon Grenville. If I write him within the next hour, I can catch the last post coach, so that he will have a day’s notice before your arrival. The fellow is ever after me to come down for a visit. He’ll be happy to welcome you.”
    Sir John appeared a bit troubled by the suggestion. ”I should say, sir, that it does not necessarily follow that he would accept me as a reasonable substitute for your distinguished self.”
    “He will if I tell him to,” said the Lord Chief Justice in a manner which made it clear he would brook no argument from Sir Simon, Sir John, nor indeed from any other.
    “Perhaps.”
    “It would be far better,” said Lord Mansfield, ”to have the girl you mentioned in the manor house than in such quarters as the town of Deal might provide.”
    ”I’ll grant you that.”
    “And I daresay Sir Simon will be your best contact there in Deal. He knows Sarton, of course, having connived with me to put him in his position. And he must know Eccles, as well. In fact, he should be able to introduce you to any number who can be helpful there in Deal. It is, after all, no city.” Lord Mansfield stopped abruptly at that point, thrust forward, chin first, and growled, ”Well, what do you say?”
    “What indeed? You seem to have thought of everything.”
    “No, not quite. I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ll provide transportation, as well. I’ll not need my coach for the next few days and Lady Mansfield is up at our place in Hampstead. I can get by in hackneys. My coach and coachmen are yours for the remainder of the week.”
    “I am quite overwhelmed. But tell me, who will take my cases?”
    The Lord Chief Justice fluttered his fingers, as if to say that this was a matter of negligible importance. ”Oh, Saunders Welch, I suppose. I shall speak to him myself about it. He’ll not dare to show reluctance.”
    Thus was