Free Brothers In Law by Henry Cecil

settled,’ said Sally brightly. ‘Now you’re going to tell me about the drawing pins.’
    â€˜They were in confidence, Sally. You might have sat on one of them.’
    â€˜Too true,’ said Sally. ‘And does this mean that you’re never going to tell me anything?’
    â€˜Of course not. I can tell you anything that happens in Court. And I can tell you about the people in chambers. Old Grimes is an extraordinary person. But he’s got the most tremendous practice. And I gather his clients swear by him.’
    â€˜From what you told me yesterday on the phone, I thought you did most of his work for him.’
    â€˜I didn’t put it as high as that. Oh, by the way, tomorrow I’m going to a County Court with an awfully nice chap called Henry Blagrove. He’s quite brilliant, I think, but I haven’t heard him in Court yet.’
    â€˜What’s a County Court? Where they fine you for not having dog licences?’
    â€˜Oh, no. It’s a Court for trying small civil cases – breaches of contracts, debts, accident cases and so on. And they have things called judgment summonses there. D’you know, they still send people to prison for not paying debts. I must say I thought that had been abolished after Pickwick Papers .’
    â€˜Are there debtors’ prisons still then?’
    â€˜I don’t think so. They go to ordinary prisons, I think. As a matter of fact, I don’t believe many people actually go to prison. About a thousand a year, I was told.’
    â€˜I must ask mother,’ said Sally. ‘She sings at prisons sometimes.’
    â€˜That is good of her,’ said Roger. ‘She must go down awfully well. They like almost anything there – I mean, I mean–’
    â€˜Explain it to mother,’ said Sally, ‘here she is.’
    Mrs Mannering came into the room a moment later.
    â€˜How are you, Roger? How nice of you to take tickets for Friday. I’m sure you can’t afford it, as a poor struggling barrister.’
    â€˜I’ve been looking forward to hearing you,’ said Roger. ‘I was only saying so to Sally a moment ago.’
    â€˜How sweet of you. Walter Burr’s going to accompany me. I’ve made him promise not to say a word. He’s a brilliant accompanist but he’s suddenly got the idea that he’s a comedian too. And he always tries to introduce the songs and do a comic turn at the same time. Seems catching in the musical profession at the moment. Oh, who do you think gave me a lift home, wasn’t it kind? Walter Pieman – the MP, you know. I met him at Hilda’s.’
    Roger and Sally said nothing for a moment. Then Sally said, ‘It only goes to show, doesn’t it?’
    â€˜Goes to show what?’ said her mother.
    â€˜That MPs have their uses.’
    The next day Roger met Henry at a tube station on the way to the County Court.
    â€˜I see you’ve a red bag,’ said Roger. ‘Have you had it long?’
    â€˜I was lucky,’ said Henry. ‘I got a brief with a leader in my second year and somehow or other it produced this. Lucky. It’s much lighter than carrying a suitcase, particularly if you’ve got a lot of books to take.’
    â€˜But why a suitcase?’
    â€˜Well – after a few years some people don’t like to be seen with a blue bag. So they use a suitcase instead.’
    â€˜Who gave you yours?’
    â€˜Mostyn, as a matter of fact.’
    â€˜I say, that’s awfully good, isn’t it? He’s one of the biggest leaders now, isn’t he?’
    â€˜Well, he’s made a lot of headway in the last year or two. Yes, I was lucky. Curiously enough, I actually earned it. I worked like hell.’
    â€˜Don’t people always earn them?’
    â€˜As often as not it’s done between the clerks. George meets Ernest in the “Cock.” “D’you think you could get young