Bowker's Brief.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 2178, 27 June 1890, Page 5

Bowker' s Brief.

.^r. Bowker had been called tp the bar nMrly^tbirty years and bad never held a brief. He had long ago realised the vanity ' of his youthful aspirations, and though he e«^ne|;''%/saiint the Courts, it was n&re from force habit than . with any hope of attracting trie notice of a friendly attorney. In, his fusty wig and tattered gdwri^ which did hot conceal his threadbsre attiril, he tdbt 'his, ', seat /religiously evii^y mSrniiig in one br other of the Courts. He seemed to have grown pre•aratur^ly bid from disappointment, for his cheeks were hollow, bis. friime was bent, atid iiis hiir grey. He was- so ragged and unkempt that he looked almost like a •oareorow, and his forlorn 'appearance attfaoted a^good deal of attention. But he paid no heed to the persistent garie of the curious and impertinent. With his eyes fixed respectfully upon., the .presiding judge,; he listened to the proceedings with qniet.attention, never smiling at a joke or J awning at tbe most tedious argument, vt 0 maintaining always a decorously imperturbable demeanour. Whether he really, took in what was going on, or was lulled by. the monotonous sing-song of the opunseisV voices into a sort of letbargio stat»jjwaa a fruitful source bf speculation among the spectators. Bnt oh the rising ofthe Court he always departed with the air of a man who was satisfied with his day's work, and scanned thr .eause-iist of 'the morrow with an ip|WArance of the deepest interest. (( , ' Very little known about Mr Bowker exoept that he U ved; alone in an attic in a .■mall cojirt adjaoent to Chancery-lane. He was ejct^emely reserved, -and repelled ajlu.friendly overtures. His reticence, however, appeared tb be ah exaggerated institutional shyness, for his mftnoerwafiL quiet and inoffensive. Some of Jh§ senior members ,of the bar reinejnbered him as a painfully nervous lad* whose father, a small tradesmen, had a gentleman, of him by ];nt|ing ; him iptQ.a profession for which he wjwainguiarly unqualified by disposition, andin which he had no manner bf interest. He was supposed to have a small annuity, wbjcit .einabled..:hini. to, procure the bare MOfßm^WfiSrhio, andias far as ;one oould judge, he appeared to be tolerably happy and, resigned to his. lot; One evening, when he bad betaken himself to, Wb .modest abode after, the fejtou^ of the, day, he was startred by a sharp .knock at the. door. This was suoh an nnußual,pccurrenoe that he rose from his seat with considerable perturbation. He happened at the moment, to be cooking a rasher of baco% for his evening meal, but vnth an odd sense of dignity, which neyer deserted him, he hastily concealed all evidence of his culinary pursuits, and then proceeded, to answer the summons. Oix .the landing, outside ,was a pretersmall boy, oarrying i goodly bundle of papers, wthioh he thrust tato-Mr Bowier's^hand, saying :— •Brief for defehdent. Lillipnt v. Lillipnt. Consultation at half-past five to morrow eveni&'g^t your chambers, if convenient.' VOertainly,' gasped Mr Bowker, though he "oould scarcely believe his senses. f'jtyddoh for judgement.. Case first on vice-Chancellor Blank's list on Friday,' added the boy, speaking in a shrill, jerky

;."I!ir.,Bp^rkerfelt so dazed that he oould aot find a word to .say, so the boy, after lingering a^moment, bade him a good evening^ rather condescendingly, and clattered down the rickety staircase whist- . Mr^Bowier stood in the doorway for fatty, a minute, Btarin(? helplessly at the fcupcjle i of papers he held in his hand. He ppuld hardly realise the fact that after all {these, years some one had actually entrusted him with a brief, and the unexoeoted^event gav&. him quite a shook, "presently, however, he recovered himself sufficiently to close the door and rethe Slowly .to bis room, where he laid tbe papers reverently upon the table, ahd sank into the nearest chair, with an odd sensation bfmingled gratification and dismay. His first ooberent idea was that the boy I^4. made a mistake, and so great, was his 6]iab*nwmmti ib&t, at , the moment, he would ihave ..felt almost relieved if this had been the case. But hie own tame was Inscribed upon the brief in perfectly legible characters, so that there was no ground fbr, such a sttspioibn. Watts, Tyler, and Shade was the firm of solibitork who had thus honoured bim', and thpir •ddress was somgwhere in the City. Mr Bowker had irieverAeven. heard of them, and with tiembling hands he brought downlan.pldmildew.ed copy of the "Law List"" whioh he had not had occasion to •BmW for years. The firm was Watts and Tyler at the date of Mr Bowter's edition of the " Law List," bnt Watts was ih§n^such an old. man that he must inevitably have died long ago. Tyler even mM be ..quite a fossil by . this,, time, and Blade no doubt was a new partner brought in to carry on an olcj established concern. Tfid pWseiifc flrrh seemed .to be living at tbe same address as their^predecessors, and ho doubt was eminently respectable. As Mr Bowker made these nWhtfil observations j the feeling of pride andi exaltation began to predominate over his, miflgivings. The fee marked upon the brief was bo considerable tbat it seemed to him a small fortune, and although bis. new client* omitted to B-and^k oheque— which in striot etiquette, they ought to have done — Mr Bowker was quite content to rely on their integrity. With almost childest bnriofiity he undidthe tape which encircled the bundle^ and strewed the numerous papers, aboat: the table. He. .unfolded the brief and turned over the pages, admiring the neat penmanship, and pausing here Mid there , to read, a sentence which accipntaiiy.baug^t his eye.„ But he, was too agitated and elated to give proper attention to the details the Jbrief contained, and he ; herefore carefully oqlleoted the papers together agair, with the wise determination to wait until he was calmer. Thafeven'ifig, however, Mr Bowker did iki't recover bis *q[uahiimUy suffiiciently to oommence his studies. The unexpected stroke ofluck which had befallen him had bridged over the long and weary years whioh had elapsed since he entered upon hUk professions and he fell into a long, and delightful reverie. - He was- a boy again ; fall of delight and hope, with wealth and feonour, .and^ even- the. woolsack, in,, the ppßsible^thre. Allthe ardent aspirations of hie younger, days suddenly revived with faoreased intensity. , He felt .thathe had Ken^ownrnfencealus ejweerin earnest. Ke ofertam%^,fia| Ww liM&M V»tU bii^air wm grey had come, at .Ipt,

he would electrify his hew clients with hia ability; other work would follow as a matter of course; and, in a word, the hopeless apatby. and despondency of many weary years seemed to have disappeared as from a touch wilh a magician's wand.

Mr Bowker was dimly oonsoious that be was remiss in permitting bis thoughts to wander into the regions of idle imagination when he ought to have been setting to work upon bis brief. But it was so pleasant to indulge in bright fancies, that he could hot deny bis unwonted luxury. B aside's his brain seemed to be whirling round and round With pleasurable excitement; he felt quite incapable of serious application; and so be sat on until far into the night, oblivious of his evening meal and entirely unconscious of his cheerless surroundings.

At length he was awakened to the storn realities of life by fiading himself numb with cold, and he thereupon crept supperless tb bed. When he awoke the next morning, after a night of feverish and broken rest, the recollection of his good luck came upon bim like a fresh surprise, arid he oould hardly believe his eyes when they fell upon the brief reposing on the table. The site of it reminded him of his duty, and after a hasty toilet he proceeded to set; to work in earnest. But alas ! he soon found that his poor feeble brain, long since, hopelessly fogged from want of Lexeroise, resolutely refused to grasp even the outline of the case Lillipnt v. Lillipufc. The brief seemed to. read like a farrago of ! nonsense ; page after page did he wade 'through without deriving the least 'enlightenment ; and though he made ! copious notes, they only added to his ! mystification. He laboured all day long, getting more bewildered evsry moment, until he reached a state of frantic despair. His head began tb aohe so that he could not see to read, and finally he was compelled to abandon his task, hoping to resume it, under more favourable circumstances after the consultation with the solicitors.

Poor Mr Bowker, though extremely depressed and miserable, had no time to brood over, his unsuccessful efforts, for it was necessary to make some elaborate preparations to reoeive his olients. He tidied np his miserable apartment with his own hands, doing his bost to make ie resemble the chambers of a working barrister. From his laundress he borrowed a book or two, which, with a few volumes of his own, he arranged upon the mantel shelf. He strove to give his bedstead the appearance of a sofa or settee, and carefully hid ont of sight all domestic appliances Finally he made himself look as presentable as possible, plaoed his wig and gown in a conspicuous position, and awaited the momentous interview with nervous trepidation.

Punctually at the appointed time came a knock at the door, which sent a thrill of nervousness through his frame. He tremulously let the visitors in, and was confronted by a benevolent loouing old gentleman with a bald head and spectacles, who brought with him a brisk young man, evidently his clerk. The gentleman introduced himself as Mr Tyler, and shook Mr Bowker warmly by the hand. His manner was so pleasant ahd affable, that the barrister almost forgot his nervousness, and prepared to pay the closest attention to his client's instructions. Fortunately for him Mr Tyler.was a loquacious old gentleman, who liked to hear tlie sound of his own voice, so that Mr Bowker was hardly called upon to say a word with reference to the case. After courteously remarking that he considered himself fortunate in having secured the services of so experienced an advocate, the solicitor plunged into a long history of the action of Liiliput v. Lilliput, wandering a good deal from his subjeot, on wbich occasions he was briskly pulled up by the smart clerk. By keeping his brain in a sort of tension, and listening with all his ears, Mr Bowker contrived to gather a dim idea of the nature of the case. He was emboldened by his success to put a few questions, whioh elioted further facts, and the result was that by the end of the interview he felt that he was sufficiently primed up to be able to thoroughly master the intricacies of his brief.

But, unfortunately, when Mr Tyler and his companion had taken their departure, Mr Bowker found, on referring to his written, instructions, that he was more abroad than ever. Most of the statements made by Mr Tyler were direotly at variance with the version set out in the brief} whioh, moreover, contained many pages ol what seemed totally irrelevant matter. Poor, Mr Bowker pored over the Jpages till his brain seemed on fire, and although he worked steadily till the small hours, he only sucoeeded in attaining a state of com? plete prostration, both mental and physical. When Vice- Chancellor Blank took, his seat in Court the next morning, it was remarked that Mr Bowker, armed with a bundle of papers,, occupied a conspicuous position on thb barristers' benches, from which it was evident that he was aotually engaged in a case. Great waß the curiosity and amazement which was manifested on all sides, but Mr Bowker, though looking wain ahd ill from over-study and anxiety, nevertheless appeared outwardly composed. The fact was that sheer desperation had inspired him with a sort of oalm courage, while the reflection that the opening of the oase by the plaintiff's counsel would give him a clear insight into the nature of it, helped to allay his misgivings. But his nervousness became apparent while some preliminary business was being disposed of by the judge, and when the oasd of Lillipnt v. Luliput was at length called, he experienced a cold shndder of trepidation. " If your ludship pleases I I'm for the plaintiff in this case," said a learned senior, shuffling about the papers on his desk, as though he were making preparations for a startling conjuring trick. "This is a oase, my lud> " " Who appears for the defendant ? " interrupted the judge, turning over the leaves of his note-book.

"I do, my lord," said Mr Bowker, uprising, with his heart almost in his mouth.

'. There waa a painful silence after this announcement, and everybody turned to look at Mr Bowker. A suppressed, titter beoame audible at the back of the Court, and the plaintiffs couMsel seemed very much taken aback. As for Mr Bowker, all the blood ih his body rushed to his head and surged fiercely about his brain. Suddenly there was a slight commotion at the other end of the bench on which he waß seated, and another barrister rose with an aggrieved air. j

" My, lud, Idon't understand tbis," ha * said, glancing indignantly at poor Mr ■. Bowker. "' lam instructed to appear for the defandent, with my learned friend Mr Powder, who is afc present engaged in another Court.

Mr Bowker's deatress and bewilderment were so painfully apparent, tbat the thoughtless burst of laughter whioh arose was sternly rapresqed by the judge. " My lord, I assure you I was properly instructed," said the poor gentleman, with tremulous earnestness. " I had a consultation yesterday with Mr Tyler, a member of the firm who represents the defendant."

" My lord, I protest against thafc statement," oried a fiery, red-faced little man, bounoing up from his seat in the well of the Court. "I am M!r Tyler, aud I never set eyes on the .learned counsel before, and don't know him from Adam.''

Nothing could restrain the laughter which this ludicrous situation elicited, and the angry gesticulations in dumb show ot the irascible solicitor increased tbe universal merriment. But all eyes were soon turned on poor Mr Bowker, wbo, for a moment, was startled and bewildered by the uproar. Then, suddenly, it flashed aoross him that he bad been the victim of a cruel praotioal joke ; a keen sense of humiliation brought a faint flush to his oheek; while the building seemed to swim around him. With one hand he clutched the desk in front of him to save himself from falling, at the same time raising the other hand feebly to bis brow. Then, to the dismay of everyone, he uttered a sharp cry and fell senseless to the ground. Tliis was the last occasion poor Mr Bowker was ever seen in publio. He was carried out of Court, and for a long time there was reason to fear tbat the shook had killed him. When at length he recovered consciousness, it was remarked that bis mind wandered a good deal, and in the course of a day or two it became known that he had drifted into hopeless imbecility. The doctors said the excitement he had undergone had only hastened a orisis whioh must inevitably have occurred sooner or later, but, of course, this did not lessen the public indignation at the perpetration of so thoughtless a hoax. The judge declared he would commit the guilty parties to prison for grave contempt of Court, but they were never discovered, and the matter was soon forgotten. Nobody troubled to inquire particularly what became of Mr. Bowker, it being generally understood that he had been lodged in a private lunatic asylum. The poor fellow had, in truth, a narrow escape of being consigned to a pauper Institution, for it turned out that the miserable pittanoe on whioh he lived was derived from a distant relative, who did not feel called upon to continue it when his pensioner was, from his condition, inoapable of appreciating generosity. But at the last moment some unknown friend intervened, and Mr Bowker was plaoed in a private asylum under the care of an eminent doctor, where he remains to this day. His oase is incurable, but he is supplied with every oomfort, and even luxury, by his mysterious benefactor. He is, therefore, perfectly contented and happy, believing himself to be the Lord Chancellor, and the red-letter days of his life are the periodical consultations whioh he holds with two gentlemen who, of late years, have beoome distinguished at the bar, and who never fail to visit him at least onoe a year.- One is a famous Queen's Counsel, and the other is scarcely less oelebrated, though he has not yet taken silk.