"SAUCE FOR THE GOOSE."

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12853, 29 April 1905, Page 2 (Supplement)

"SAUCE FOR THE GOOSE."

VISCOUNT'S DAUGHTER AND HER SERVANTS. EXTRAORDINARY LETTERS. Ax extraordinary suit, in which a lady of rank was plaintiff, and a. couple of servant girls defendants, contributed unusual life to the proceedings at Wandsworth County Court. Plaintiff, the Hon. MJabel Vereker, claimed a month's wages in lieu ot notice from defendants, named .Nellie and Emma Neal, two nice-looking girls, dressed in deep mourning. The Hon. Mabel Vereker is a daughter of the fourth Viscount Gort. She resides in Wilton-street, Grosvenor Place, Belgravia. She was not present in Court during the hearing of the case, a feature of which was the reading of a number of interesting letters written Uy her. In opening the suit, counsel for the lady said that the two girls entered her service as domestic servants in December last, left without giving notice, and never returned. Miss Vereker therefore thought* that what was good for the goose was good for the gander, and considered herself entitled to a- month wages from each. Mr. Davey, for the defence, said that the Hon. Mabel Vereker had acted in an exceedingly arbitrary manner towards these girls. After they had been a few days in her service they received a telegram 'from their home at Stalbridge, Dorsetshire, stating that their brother was dying. Miss Vereker flatly refused to allow them to go to see their brother, but eventually consented on the understanding that they lost theii wages. The girls went home, but did not arrive in time to see their brother alive. They were exceedingly prostrated, and one had to be placed under medical care. A day or two latei, continued counsel, the girls' father received the following letter from Miss Vereker :— The Hon. Miss Vereker thinks it advisable and kind to write to Mr. Neal, as she intends, on the advice of all her friends, to summon his daughters, Emma and Nellie, who have behaved disgracefully to her, for a month's wages instead of notice, and damages. Had they been less false and deceitful, or had she herself been less kind, the Hon. Miss Vereker would not be so excessively angry, but after ordering a turkey for Mr. Neal, doing all she could for the girls at Christmas, and then giving them a whole day's holiday, and even allowing them to sleep out when Emma and Nellie had . only been in her service a week, and putting up with a charwoman herself, it is really too shameful for the two girls to leave a young unmarried lady quite alone and unprotected in a house in London full of valuable plate, jewels, etc., not a soul to cook oi dust, or even light the kitchen fire, and to leave with falsehoods op their lips, that only fear of their father made them obey vour orders, and they would write directly" they arrived at Stalbridge, and come back the next day if possible! The Hon. Miss Vereker did not believe the girls could be. so ungrateful and cruel. It will sound very, badv in the Law Courts, and the two girls will deservedly find it hard to get places afterwards. Both Dr. and Mrs. Balfour Neall told the Hon. Miss Vereker that they also were greatly displeased With Emma and Nellie." Two days later, said counsel, Miss Vereker again wrote to Mi. Neal as follows: — The Hon. M>iss Verekei - has received Mr. J. Neat's letter. She wishes to condole with him on the loss of his son; also to assure him that neither Dr. nor Mrs. Balfour Neall believed even in -the illness of that son, and showed Miss Vereker a letter from Emma and Nellie written a few days before they left, in which not one word of a brother being ill was said; but they did say Miss Vereker did not know how to behave (being & lady of rank, moving in the best society, she does not, of course, wish to be taught manners by her, or even the wife of a small doctor), and also that they were going to run away from her place. This letter will be produced' at the County Court."

" Miss Vereker seems to be a very keen litigant," interrupted the judge. Counsel continued to read : —

"From.Mr. Neat's letter the Hon. Miss Vereker sees that his daughters have evidently deceived him also, and told him falsehoods. She cannot claim any thanks for allowing the girls to go to Staibridge; they went in defiance of her express commands, and had not the slightest intention of coming hack. Miss Vereker has lost both her father and mother, and three brothers. . . She was not at the deathbed of any one of her three brothers, and considered it quit* unnecessary for the two girls to go to the expense of a journev to Dorsetshire. She did, however, say that one might go, but that she could not bo left absolutely alone. . . . As it, now stands, Mr. Neal having written so civilly, and like an educated man who has also been deceived, the Hon. Miss Vereker will take the girls back only on the condition that Mr. Neal gave his personal guarantee to her lawyers, whose address she encloses, that, if the girls behave in the same manner in future, or in any other way badly, he will be responsible, and will refund her the month's wages. It is impossible for her to put any trust in the two young women in future; that is, unless she has reason to form a better opinion. It must also be quite clearly understood (this, said counsel, was a gratuitous innuendo) that men are not to be admitted to the house without Miss Vcreker's special permission. If disobedience to this order is discovered, the culprit will be dismissed without notice o. wages. It is a very great danger in London, and the Hon. Miss Vereker lias been three times robbed in two years, and Nellie and Emma know that the area key was stolen whilst they were here; also their services will only be counted from the day they return. Their behaviour has put Miss Vereker to very great expense. If the girls do not like these restriction!), and prefer to appear in the County Court, where wages over £4 and damages will be claimed, they can do so, but Mrs. Balfour Neall says she will not give them another character, and the Hon. Miss Vereker hopes they will be wise and try and earn good characters from her."

Counsel went on to say that the girls returned, on January 6, but Miss Vereker refused to see them until the Bth, when she insisted upon them raising money to pay her for their absence. She actually asked them how much money they had upop them, and when they replied only ss, Mis? Vereker said, "That's no good; you can't do anything, with ss. You had better go to service, and pass your first month's wages on to me." Subsequently, on January 15, Miss Verekei wrote the girls the following letter: —

" Emma and Nellie, — am writing to make a proposal to you, as, not having heard from you, 1 suppose you have not yet got a place, as you promised to let me know when you had got one. lam still not settled with servants, but I have got a young footman, who will at all events stay with me a little time, so my offer is that, instead of paying me back your month's wages from the new place you get, I will allow you to come back (as well as the man-servant), and stay a month without wages, working out your time instead of the money. If you are still out of Elace, this will be very advantageous to you oth, and save money, and I am willing to trust you that far. . . I cannot slay in the house with the footman and uo one else, and shall have to go to a hotel. I have a French cook, but she is very violent(laughter)and is going to-morrow. Besides, three weeks of utter wretchedness at the most hopeless time to fill your places with other servants —the women and men by the day, and the cabs and luncheons and dinners "at clubs and hotels, will have cost me £8 or £10, and I am still unsuited. Therefore, if you don't come back you must send me a written undertaking to pay me the month's wages to which I was entitled if I had summoned you, in which case I would have got damages, the expenses to which your conduct had put me as well. If you will not either return on my terms for a month or give me the written promise, I shall be, much to my regret, obliged to takf out a summons. I can always get your address through your brother (a police constable), as I know his superiors, Sir Edward Bradford and Mr. MeNaughton, also Mr. Pennefather, and can get police assistance when I require from these Scotland Yard officials, but I hope you will really follow your father's advice and try to make amends for treating me bo shamefully." "It is a most extraordinary letter," commented the judge. " She seems to have terrorised the gills. She ?eems to enjoy legal proceedings. The last letter contains almost, a threat. I should bold it to be a threaten-' ing letter about the policemen." His Honor eventually gave judgment in favour of the girls, witlj costs.