Page:Henry Northcote (IA henrynorthcote00snairich).pdf/58

 at that hour his bicycle had the misfortune to collide with a motor-car, and the poor fellow now lies in hospital with a compound fracture of the right thigh."

"Poor fellow, poor fellow!"

"I think you and I are agreed that Tobin is without a rival in a case of this nature."

"You must forgive me if I express surprise that Tobin should have accepted the brief."

"That is easily explained. Tobin is the generous-hearted Irishman who is never weary of affirming that Whitcomb and Whitcomb gave him his start. He never refuses us, and I am afraid we, in the interests of a client, trade occasionally on his good nature."

"Then the practitioners of law are sometimes more disinterested than they seem."

"My dear fellow, among a considerable body of men must there not be a leaven of human nature? And my own experience is that human nature is so much more disinterested than the young and cynical like to consider it."

"That is well said," replied Northcote, feeling the rebuke to be merited.

"And so you see," said the solicitor, "in regard to this wretched woman whom we had undertaken to defend, we were in the position of being able to brief a first rate man for a third rate fee."

"Yet a third rate man would have served your purpose equally well, if one is allowed to hazard the remark."

"No; for this reason: the woman has long been of intemperate habits. Prior to the commission of the crime she was known to be drinking heavily,