Page:English laws for women in the nineteenth century.djvu/118

106 ''with Lord Wynford or any other person connected with politics about it until after the trial was over. Mr Currie, my solicitor for the action, will vouch for this; and he is also aware of certain solicitations made by both parties in politics that I would not proceed with the action; he is aware how my witnesses were molested and tampered with in town, and that it was at their own request some of them were sent to the country, where they were nevertheless followed and persecuted.''

''I find, from the report, that Mrs Norton said on Thursday that I had claimed the copyrights of her works from her publishers; this statement I have to deny in the most distinct and emphatic terms. I have never, directly or indirectly, made any claim whatever to her copyrights, the benefit of which she has always been allowed by me to enjoy without let or hindrance; and, until I was preparing for this trial,! never even enquired as to the amount of them. What did occur with regard to her copyrights was, that my solicitor, to prove that her income has exceeded 1,500l. per annum, did institute an inquiry among her publishers, several of whom were subpœnaed to attend. I heard her refer to her copyrights, but did not hear her use the word "claim." I thought she referred to the inquiries my solicitor had. made, and consequently used the words, "My solicitor did." Had the word "claimed" actually reached my ears, I should have doubted their accuracy in conveying to my mind so great a falsehood.''

''A most absurd and false impression was given by Mrs Norton as to my signature of "Greenacre." The joke involved in such a signature was but a poor one; but she forgets to state that it oi'iginated with herself, by her adopting, in her letters to me, the name of "Hannah Brown." With regard to another matter, Mrs Norton, in her letter to the "Times," uses these words: "Because as I have stated, if it is not a valid contract, the creditor may be utterly cheated of his money, if (which God forbid!) I should copy Mr Norton, and also fling off, by a quibble of the law, my liability to them." Mrs Norton, in this quota- ''