“I know a dozen prosecutions of that sort; and always when there has been certainty, the parents have lost their case.”
“But surely, Doctor, you must be mistaken! Not in a case like ours--not when it is a question of saving the life of a poor little innocent!”
“Oftentimes exactly such facts have been presented.”
Here George broke in. “I can give you the dates of the decisions.” He rose from his chair, glad of an opportunity to be useful. “I have the books,” he said, and took one from the case and brought it to the doctor.
“All of that is no use--” interposed the mother.
But the doctor said to George, “You will be able to convince yourself. The parents have been forced once or twice to pay the nurse a regular income, and at other times they have had to pay her an indemnity, of which the figure has varied between three and eight thousand francs.”
Madame Dupont was ready with a reply to this. “Never fear, sir! If there should be a suit, we should have a good lawyer. We shall be able to pay and choose the best--and he would demand, without doubt, which of the two, the nurse or the child, has given the disease to the other.”
The doctor was staring at her in horror. “Do you not perceive that would be a monstrous thing to do?”
“Oh, I would not have to say it,” was the reply. “The lawyer would see to it--is not that his profession? My point is this: by one means or another he would make us win our case.”
“And the scandal that would result,” replied the other. “Have you thought of that?”
Here George, who had been looking over his law-books, broke in. “Doctor, permit me to give you a little information. In cases of this sort, the names are never printed.”
“Yes, but they are spoken at the hearings.”
“And are you certain that there will not be any newspaper to print the judgment?”
“What won’t they stoop to,” exclaimed Madame Dupont--“those filthy journals!”
“Ah,” said the other, “and see what a scandal? What a shame it would be to you!”
“The doctor is right, mother,” exclaimed the young man.
But Madame Dupont was not yet convinced. “We will prevent the woman from taking any steps; we will give her what she demands from us.”
“But then,” said the other, “you will give yourselves up to the risk of blackmail. I know a family which has been thus held up for over twelve years.”
