Questions

"But I heard that you purchased a substantial amount of land two years ago, and last year your income was nearly 3,000 pounds..."

You should be aware that the yearly income of a barrister in Backlund is only around a thousand pounds.

Raul Hendler's lawyer, Burton Chester, realized the irrelevance and stood up, stating, "Your Excellency, I object! This question has no relevance to this case!"

Judge Harvey Brook nodded, motioning for Burton Chester to sit down, and advised, "Mr. Adrian, please focus on the aspects related to the case in your statement."

Rawls placed his hand on his chest and offered a slight bow to Judge Brooke, saying, "I apologize, Your Excellency. I will take note."

Seemingly oblivious to Hendler's immediate anger, Rawls proceeded to question Wood Johnson, "Mr. Johnson, I've heard that occupations such as housekeepers, servants, and coachmen differ from dock workers, and they receive payment not on a weekly basis, but based on an annual salary, is that correct?"

"Yes, Mr. Attorney," Wood said, rubbing his cramped hands on his sagging breeches. "You should know that people like us have the power to bring ruin upon an entire family due to an unfortunate accident. And I believe that when the coachman is able to dine and live with the master, the salary should be better. However, even though we are paid on an annual basis, the master usually pays weekly, and sometimes falls behind in payments."

"Unbelievable! Did Mr. Hendler adhere to those terms?"

"Goodness gracious!"

"Oh my goodness, how dare he do such a thing!"

"That's unacceptable!"

The jury members reacted with surprise. Although the qualifications to join the jury were quite low, its members often came from wealthy families. They opted to be on the jury to pass the time due to a lack of entertainment. However, this meant they were well-aware of how to pay their servants and understood the consequences of delayed payments on their servants' lives.

All eyes turned to Raul Hendler. His pale face immediately turned red, and he exclaimed in an agitated tone, "I give him an annual salary of 27 pounds! That's two pounds more than a regular coachman's salary!"

"But my client didn't agree, did he?" Rawls questioned persistently.

Hendler vigorously waved his arm and exclaimed, "But even after I promised to offer him additional incentives, he still agreed!"

All eyes once again turned towards Wood Johnson.

"Is that true, Mr. Johnson?"

"Yes. I wanted to save up some extra money to enroll my son, Johnson Jr., in a grammar school so he wouldn't have to live amongst people like us. With my wife's salary , we were barely making ends meet. After a year of hard work, I managed to save up 27 pounds, enough to send my little Johnson to grammar school. Little did I know that a year of labor would leave my son seriously ill, forcing me to quit my job and return to Whitecliffe." As Mr. Johnson spoke, his voice choked with emotion, and some compassionate ladies on the jury were moved to tears.

Rawls didn't continue to question Wood Johnson; instead, he handed him a handkerchief and turned to question Hendler.

"Mr. Hendler, when did my client, Wood Johnson, begin working as a coachman in your house?"

Raul Hendler sensed something was amiss, furrowed his brow, and replied, "I just mentioned it earlier, in November of the previous year."

"Please provide the exact date; it's of utmost importance."

"November 7th, I remember it vividly. The day before, young Johnson mentioned that his teacher had appointed him as a tutor in the class." Johnson wiped away his tears with a handkerchief, and his eyes' corners were red.

Free schools are evening schools established by major churches or charitable organizations. Classes take place from 8:00 to 10:00 in the evening, and there is no fee whatsoever. They even provide writing tools and certain papers free of charge. It focuses on basic literacy education.

However, due to a scarcity of volunteer teachers in free schools, a unique teaching model has emerged. The teacher arrives early, selects students with the best learning progress, imparts today's lessons to them, and assigns them to teach different classes. Meanwhile, the teacher moves around to correct mistakes and errors, known as the "guiding system."

In addition to free schools, there are also free organizations, such as skilled worker workshops, that serve as a few avenues through which the truly poor can access resources and potentially overcome their social class. Unfortunately, there are too few similar organizations, making it challenging for them to have a substantial impact.

Rawls further questioned Hendler, "When did you depart?"

"On November 13th of last year, a friend from town came to me that day and informed me about little Johnson's serious illness," Johnson hurriedly replied, his face streaked with tears.

Observing Hendler's reluctant nod, Rawls asserted, "Therefore, my client, Wood Johnson, worked at Mr. Hendler's residence for a year and is owed 27 pounds by Mr. Johnson."

Rawls paused and exclaimed, "And there's more!"

Rawls approached Hendler and locked eyes with him, saying, "I would like to inquire, Mr. Hendler, do these other packages not include a pair of gilded harnesses worth nearly one gold pound?"

Lawyer Burton had already closed his eyes, realizing he had lost when Rawls mentioned Hendler's extensive land purchases. Though Burton had managed to interrupt in time, the young and passionate Rawls had successfully stirred the jury's emotions, leaving even Burton's own client appearing foolish. Despite explicitly instructing him otherwise before the trial, Rawls easily exposed the truth to him.

"I will not part with my harness for anyone! That is my..."

"Mr. Hendler!" Rawls interrupted Hendler. "What about that? It can cover the cost and satisfy the coachman, Mr. Hendler!"

"Mr. Hendler, you must use your intellect! Let's consider what else could fulfill the conditions!" Rawls slowly circled his index finger around his head.

"And... and..." Hendler pondered deeply.

"But I believe there should be none! After all, is there anything within your family that hasn't been sold to settle debts?"

Thanks to the implementation of the "Corn Act," land prices have been soaring in recent years. Hendler experienced the benefits of this trend last year when he profited from the land he purchased the previous year. However, he not only used all of last year's income to buy more land but also took out a substantial loan. Unfortunately, half a month ago, news broke that the "Grain Act" was going to be repealed, and just a week ago, the House of Commons formally proposed the relevant bill. As a result, Hendler's creditors came to collect their debts, leaving him with no choice but to sell all his land and valuables to settle his dues.

After concluding his statement, Rawls returned to his seat and nodded respectfully to Judge Harvey Brook, saying, "Your Honor, I have no objections."

"Mr. Burton Chester, it's your turn now."

Upon hearing the secretary's words, Chester opened his eyes and stood up. Regardless of the jury's or the judge's stance, it was evident from the clerk's tone. Chester glanced at Adrian Rolls once more, noticing that he had already lowered his head to organize the case documents, and sighed inwardly:

He's too young!