- 8 -
It was at this crisis, in this, the noon of his happiness, and
dayspring of his fortune, that, to the ruin of both, the Defendant
became acquainted with his family. With the serpent's wile, and the
serpent's wickedness, he stole into the Eden of domestic life; poisoning
all that was pure, polluting all that was lovely, defying God, destroying
man; a demon in the disguise of virtue, a herald of hell in the paradise
of innocence. His name, Gentlemen, is William Peter Baker Dunstanville
Sterne: one would think he had epithets enough, without adding to
them the title of Adulterer. Of his character I know but little, and
I am sorry that I know so much
Grotesque as the trial in Pickwick seems we can see that many of its details were
solidly based on everyday legal realities. Indeed, some of the absurdities of the law relating
to breach-of-promise cases that Dickens might have made use of he left alone, e.g. the fact
that neither Pickwick himself nor Mrs Bardell could go into the witness-box and give
evidence.
Pickwick in his innocence is helpless before the law. Sam, much shrewder than his
master, can use the law to serve his own ends, however, as when he wants to ensue being
in the Fleet to look after Pickwick. Pickwick has refused to allow him to stay in prison
so Sam consults his father but even the sagacious Tony, for all his width and wisdom,
cannot see any way round the difficulty.
'Well, then, I'll tell you wot it is', said Sam, 'I'll trouble you
for the loan of five-and-twenty pound'.
'Wot good 'ull that do?' inquired Mr Weller.
'Never mind', replied Sam. 'P'raps you may ask for it, five
minits aftervards; p'raps I may say I von't pay, and cut up rough.
You von't think o' arrestin' your own son for the money, and sendin'
him off to the Fleet, will you, you unnat'ral wagabone?'
At this reply of Sam's, the father and son exchanged a complete
code of telegraphic nods and gestures, after which, the elder Mr Weller
sat himself down on a stone step, and laughed till he was purple.
So, with some professional assistance from Mr Pell, Sam gets himself made a prisoner
and can continue to take care of Pickwick. But in the end it is the law that wins: Pickwick
has to abandon his principles and pay the unjust damages. And the episode of the death
of the chancery prisoner, which looks forward to Bleak House, is a sharp reminder that
the law is really dangerous, even though Pickwick suffers fairly lightly. It can, and does,
kill people who are wholly innocent.
'I'm sorry to say that your landlord's wery bad tonight sir',
said Roker, setting down the glass, and inspecting the lining of his
hat prepatatory to putting it on again.
'What! The Chancery prisoner!' exclaimed Mr Pickwick.
'He won't be a Chancery prisoner wery long, sir', replied Roker,
turning his hat round, so as to get the maker's name right side
upwards, as he looked into it.
'You make my blood run cold', said Mr Pickwick. 'What do
you mean?'
'He's been consumptive for a long time past', said Mr Roker,
'and he's taken wery bad in the breath tonight. The doctor said, six
months ago, that nothing but change of air could save him'.
'Great Heaven!' exclaimed Mr Pickwick; 'has this man been
slowly murdered by the law for six months!'
