"Yes."
"Um, Mr. Short, I have been consulting with my clients and--um, the
Attorney and Solicitor-General and Mr. Fiddlestick, and we are quite
willing to admit that there are circumstances of doubt in this case
which would justify us in making an offer of settlement."
"Before I can enter into that, Mr. News," said John, with great dignity,
"I must request the presence of my counsel."
"Oh, certainly," said Mr. News, and accordingly James was summoned from
his elevated perch, where he was once more going through his notes and
the heads of his opening speech, although he already knew his
brief--which, to do it justice, had been prepared with extraordinary care
and elaboration--almost by heart, and next moment, for the first time in
his life, found himself in consultation with an Attorney and a
Solicitor-General.
"Look here, Short," said the first of these great men addressing James as
though he had known him intimately for years, though, as a matter of
fact, he had only that moment ascertained his name from Mr. Fiddlestick,
who was himself obliged to refer to Bean before he could be sure of
it--"look here, Short: don't you think that we can settle this business?
You've got a strongish case; but there are some ugly things against you,
as no doubt you know.
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