“Oh, yes. Several times.”
“Well then you can guess the sort of woman she is. And anyone who had ever looked at her eyes would know. I’d just as soon twist a tiger’s tail as try to drill a hole in one of Madame Ypsilante’s teeth. Scarsby must have known there’d be trouble.”
“I’m afraid the judge won’t take that view,” said Dane-Latimer, smiling.
“He ought to call it justifiable self-defence. He will too if he’s ever had one of those drills in his own mouth.”
“As a lawyer,” said Dane-Latimer, “I’d like to see this action fought out. I don’t remember a case quite like it, and it would be exceedingly interesting to see what view the Court would take. But of course I’m bound to work for my client’s interest, and I’m advising Scarsby to settle it if he can. He’s in a vile temper and there’s no doubt he really is losing money through not being able to work with his strained wrist. Still, if Madame, or the king on her behalf, would make any sort of offer—She may not have any money, Gorman, but everybody knows she has jewellery.”
“Do you really think,” said Gorman, “that Madame will sell her pearls to satisfy the claims of a dentist who, so far as I can make out, didn’t even finish stopping her tooth for her?”
“The law might make her.”
“The law couldn’t,” said Gorman. “You know perfectly well that if the law tried she’d simply say that her jewellery belonged to King Konrad and you’ve no kind of claim on him.”
“That’s so,” said Dane-Latimer. “All the same it won’t be very nice if the case comes into court. Madame had far better settle it. Just think of the newspapers. They’ll crack silly jokes about it for weeks and there’ll be pictures of Madame in most undignified attitudes. She won’t like it.”
“I see that,” said Gorman. “And of course Konrad Karl will be dragged in and made to look like a fool.”