Miss Prince admits that she remembers the circumstance.
“Now tell us in your own words what followed.”
“I wrote to Mr. Garlett, my landlord, and asked him if he would personally come over to my house and see the damage which had been done. We had never had a lawyer’s agreement. I was an old friend, almost the oldest friend, of Mrs. Garlett. And I was well aware that at any moment the Thatched Cottage could have been let for a considerably larger sum than the rent I was paying. On the other hand, I felt that Mr. Garlett would not mind my asking him to have the gutters of the house attended to. The expense, considerable to me, would be, I felt, small to him; also I should like to say that he was known to me as an exceptionally generous man.”
There is a stir through the Court. The judge leans forward.
“Will you kindly keep to the matter in hand, madam?”
Miss Prince does not look in the least disturbed by this rebuke. She answers quietly:
“Would you prefer, my lord, that Sir Almeric should ask questions and I give answers?”
Miss Prince had once stayed in the company of Sir Almeric at a country house many years ago, and she feels quite at ease with him.
“No,” says the Judge sharply, “go on with your story. But keep to the matter in hand.”
“Mr. Garlett sent me a note saying that he would try and make time to come and see the damage.”