96 MEMORIES OF MEN AND HORSES 



(Enter Mr GEORGE.) 



DUCHESS. Mr George, I am in sad distress. An 

 infamous attempt has been made to poison my cat, and 

 my servants, in whom I trusted, have had the audacity 

 to discredit the story. 



GEORGE. If I can be of any service 



DUCHESS. I know. That is why I sent for you. My 

 instructions to you are very simple. You have got to 

 prove that my cat was poisoned. 



GEORGE. On what evidence does your Grace base 

 the conclusion that this outrage on the cat was really 

 committed ? 



DUCHESS. Evidenced What have I to do with 

 evidence? That is what you have to find out. Of 

 what use else should a lawyer be? If I had evidence 

 I should not want you ; but now that no one seems to 

 believe the cat was ever poisoned at all, I appeal to 

 you, as the cleverest lawyer in London, to oblige me by 

 proving that he was. 



GEORGE. Of course I fully appreciate your Grace's 

 kind compliment, and I make no doubt that I shall be 

 able to do what is required. In a brief precis of the case 

 which I have glanced at I observe that a fish bone was 

 extracted by a chiropodist from the cat's throat. Now 

 here, I think, we have a clue. May not that fish bone 

 have contained virulent or even explosive poison, and 

 but for its providentially sticking in the cat's throat the 

 villainous attempt would have been consummated ? 



DUCHESS. Mr George, your intelligence more than 

 delights me. We need not go further in our selection 

 of clues. Nothing could be better than the one you 

 have suggested. You will now proceed to prove it in 

 proper legal form. The idea, indeed, that anyone 



