‘To false witnesses, and that before the trial!’
said the Secretary.
’And there may have been a hope that, in spite
of what he said himself as to their staying, they
would take themselves off when they had got the money.
In that way he may have persuaded himself that, as
an honest man, he ought to make the payment.
Then as to the witnesses, there can be little doubt
that they were willing to lie. Even if their main
story were true, they were lying as to details.’
‘Then you would advise a pardon?’
‘I think so,’ said the barrister, who
was not responsible for his advice.
‘Without waiting for the other trial?’
’If the perjury be then proved,—or
even so nearly proved as to satisfy the outside world,—the
man’s detention will be thought to have been
a hardship.’ The Secretary of State thanked
the barrister and let him go. He then went down
to the House, and amidst the turmoil of a strong party
conflict at last made up his mind. It was unjust
that such responsibility should be thrown upon any
one person. There ought to be some Court of Appeal
for such cases. He was sure of that now.
But at last he made up his mind. Early on the
next morning the Queen should be advised to allow
John Caldigate to go free.
How Mrs. Bolton Was Nearly Conquered
One morning about the middle of October, Robert Bolton
walked out from Cambridge to Puritan Grange with a
letter in his pocket,—a very long and a
very serious letter. The day was that on which
the Secretary of State was closeted with the barrister,
and on the evening of which he at length determined
that Caldigate should be allowed to go free. There
had, therefore, been no pardon granted,—as
yet. But in the letter the writer stated that
such pardon would, almost certainly, be awarded.
It was from William Bolton, in London, to his brother
the attorney, and was written with the view of proving
to all the Boltons at Cambridge, that it was their
duty to acknowledge Hester as the undoubted wife of
John Caldigate; and recommended also that, for Hester’s
sake, they should receive him as her husband.
The letter had been written with very great care,
and had been powerful enough to persuade Robert Bolton
of the truth of the first proposition.
It was very long, and as it repeated all the details
of the evidence for and against the verdict, it shall
not be repeated here at its full length. Its
intention was to show that, looking at probabilities,
and judging from all that was known, there was much
more reason to suppose that there had been no marriage
at Ahalala than that there had been one. The
writer acknowledged that, while the verdict stood confirmed
against the man, Hester’s family were bound
to regard it, and to act as though they did not doubt
its justice;—but that when that verdict
should be set aside,—as far as any criminal
verdict can be set aside,—by the Queen’s
pardon, then the family would be bound to suppose that
they who advised her Majesty had exercised a sound
discretion.
