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Justice

By

John Galsworthy

Persons of the Play ACT I ACT II ACT III Scene I Scene II Scene III ACT IV

TIME: The Present. ACT I The scene is the managing clerk's room, at the offices of James and Walter How, on a July morning. The room is old fashioned, furnished with well-worn mahogany and leather, and lined with tin boxes and estate plans. It has three doors. Two of them are close together in the centre of a wall. One of these two doors leads to the outer office, which is only divided from the managing clerk's room by a partition of wood and clear glass; and when the door into this outer office is opened there can be seen the wide outer door leading out on to the stone stairway of the building. The other of these two centre doors leads to the junior clerk's room. The third door is that leading to the partners' room. The managing clerk, COKESON, is sitting at his table adding up figures in a pass-book, and murmuring their numbers to himself. He is a man of sixty, wearing spectacles; rather short, with a bald head, and an honest, pugdog face. He is dressed in a well-worn black frock-coat and pepper-and-salt trousers. COKESON And five's twelve, and three--fifteen, nineteen, twenty-three, thirty-two, forty- one-and carry four. [He ticks the page, and goes on murmuring] Five, seven, twelve, seventeen, twenty-four and nine, thirty-three, thirteen and carry one. He again makes a tick. The outer office door is opened, and SWEEDLE, the office-boy, appears, closing the door behind him. He is a pale youth of sixteen, with spiky hair. COKESON [With grumpy expectation] And carry one. SWEEDLE There's a party wants to see Falder, Mr. Cokeson. COKESON Five, nine, sixteen, twenty-one, twenty-nine--and carry two. Send him to Morris's. What name?

SWEEDLE Honeywill. COKESON What's his business? SWEEDLE It's a woman. COKESON A lady? SWEEDLE No, a person. COKESON Ask her in. Take this pass-book to Mr. James. [He closes the pass-book.] SWEEDLE [Reopening the door] Will you come in, please? RUTH HONEYWILL comes in. She is a tall woman, twenty-six years old, unpretentiously dressed, with black hair and eyes, and an ivory-white, clear-cut face. She stands very still, having a natural dignity of pose and gesture. SWEEDLE goes out into the partners' room with the pass-book. COKESON [Looking round at RUTH] The young man's out. [Suspiciously] State your business, please. RUTH [Who speaks in a matter-of-fact voice, and with a slight West-Country accent] It's a personal matter, sir.

RUTH But what am I to do? COKESON Dear me! I can't tell you that. SWEEDLE comes back. He crosses to the outer office and passes through into it, with a quizzical look at Cokeson, carefully leaving the door an inch or two open. COKESON [Fortified by this look] This won't do, you know, this won't do at all. Suppose one of the partners came in! An incoherent knocking and chuckling is heard from the outer door of the outer office. SWEEDLE [Putting his head in] There's some children outside here. RUTH They're mine, please. SWEEDLE Shall I hold them in check? RUTH They're quite small, sir. [She takes a step towards COKESON] COKESON You mustn't take up his time in office hours; we're a clerk short as it is. RUTH It's a matter of life and death. COKESON [Again outraged] Life and death!

SWEEDLE Here is Falder. FALDER has entered through the outer office. He is a pale, good-looking young man, with quick, rather scared eyes. He moves towards the door of the clerks' office, and stands there irresolute. COKESON Well, I'll give you a minute. It's not regular. Taking up a bundle of papers, he goes out into the partners' room. RUTH [In a low, hurried voice] He's on the drink again, Will. He tried to cut my throat last night. I came out with the children before he was awake. I went round to you. FALDER I've changed my digs. RUTH Is it all ready for to-night? FALDER I've got the tickets. Meet me 11.45 at the booking office. For God's sake don't forget we're man and wife! [Looking at her with tragic intensity] Ruth! RUTH You're not afraid of going, are you? FALDER Have you got your things, and the children's? RUTH Had to leave them, for fear of waking Honeywill, all but one bag. I can't go near home again.

FALDER Yes, sir. COKESON You quite understand-the party was in some distress; and, having children with her, I allowed my feelings----[He opens a drawer and produces from it a tract] Just take this! "Purity in the Home." It's a well-written thing. FALDER [Taking it, with a peculiar expression] Thank you, sir. COKESON And look here, Falder, before Mr. Walter comes, have you finished up that cataloguing Davis had in hand before he left? FALDER I shall have done with it to-morrow, sir--for good. COKESON It's over a week since Davis went. Now it won't do, Falder. You're neglecting your work for private life. I shan't mention about the party having called, but---- FALDER [Passing into his room] Thank you, sir. COKESON stares at the door through which FALDER has gone out; then shakes his head, and is just settling down to write, when WALTER How comes in through the outer Office. He is a rather refined-looking man of thirty-five, with a pleasant, almost apologetic voice. WALTER Good-morning, Cokeson. COKESON Morning, Mr. Walter.

WALTER My father here? COKESON [Always with a certain patronage as to a young man who might be doing better] Mr. James has been here since eleven o'clock. WALTER I've been in to see the pictures, at the Guildhall. COKESON [Looking at him as though this were exactly what was to be expected] Have you now--ye--es. This lease of Boulter's--am I to send it to counsel? WALTER What does my father say? COKESON 'Aven't bothered him. WALTER Well, we can't be too careful. COKESON It's such a little thing--hardly worth the fees. I thought you'd do it yourself. WALTER Send it, please. I don't want the responsibility. COKESON [With an indescribable air of compassion] Just as you like. This "right-of-way" case--we've got 'em on the deeds. WALTER I know; but the intention was obviously to exclude that bit of common ground. COKESON We needn't worry about that. We're the right side of the law.

WALTER goes to a cupboard, unlocks a drawer and produces a cheque-book. JAMES Tick the pounds in the counterfoils. Five, fifty-four, seven, five, twenty-eight, twenty, ninety, eleven, fifty-two, seventy-one. Tally? WALTER [Nodding] Can't understand. Made sure it was over four hundred. JAMES Give me the cheque-book. [He takes the check-book and cons the counterfoils] What's this ninety? WALTER Who drew it? JAMES You. WALTER [Taking the cheque-book] July 7th? That's the day I went down to look over the Trenton Estate--last Friday week; I came back on the Tuesday, you remember. But look here, father, it was nine I drew a cheque for. Five guineas to Smithers and my expenses. It just covered all but half a crown. JAMES [Gravely] Let's look at that ninety cheque. [He sorts the cheque out from the bundle in the pocket of the pass-book] Seems all right. There's no nine here. This is bad. Who cashed that nine-pound cheque? WALTER [Puzzled and pained] Let's see! I was finishing Mrs. Reddy's will--only just had time; yes--I gave it to Cokeson. JAMES Look at that 't' 'y': that yours?

WALTER [After consideration] My y's curl back a little; this doesn't. JAMES [As COKESON re-enters from FALDER'S room] We must ask him. Just come here and carry your mind back a bit, Cokeson. D'you remember cashing a cheque for Mr. Walter last Friday week--the day he went to Trenton? COKESON Ye-es. Nine pounds. JAMES Look at this. [Handing him the cheque.] COKESON No! Nine pounds. My lunch was just coming in; and of course I like it hot; I gave the cheque to Davis to run round to the bank. He brought it back, all gold--you remember, Mr. Walter, you wanted some silver to pay your cab. [With a certain contemptuous compassion] Here, let me see. You've got the wrong cheque. He takes cheque-book and pass-book from WALTER. WALTER Afraid not. COKESON [Having seen for himself] It's funny. JAMES You gave it to Davis, and Davis sailed for Australia on Monday. Looks black, Cokeson. COKESON [Puzzled and upset] why this'd be a felony! No, no! there's some mistake. JAMES I hope so.

He goes out through the outer office. JAMES paces the room. He stops and looks at COKESON, who is disconsolately rubbing the knees of his trousers. JAMES Well, Cokeson! There's something in character, isn't there? COKESON [Looking at him over his spectacles] I don't quite take you, sir. JAMES Your story, would sound d----d thin to any one who didn't know you. COKESON Ye-es! [He laughs. Then with a sudden gravity] I'm sorry for that young man. I feel it as if it was my own son, Mr. James. JAMES A nasty business! COKESON It unsettles you. All goes on regular, and then a thing like this happens. Shan't relish my lunch to-day. JAMES As bad as that, Cokeson? COKESON It makes you think. [Confidentially] He must have had temptation. JAMES Not so fast. We haven't convicted him yet. COKESON I'd sooner have lost a month's salary than had this happen. [He broods.] JAMES I hope that fellow will hurry up.

COKESON [Keeping things pleasant for the cashier] It isn't fifty yards, Mr. James. He won't be a minute. JAMES The idea of dishonesty about this office it hits me hard, Cokeson. He goes towards the door of the partners' room. SWEEDLE [Entering quietly, to COKESON in a low voice] She's popped up again, sir- something she forgot to say to Falder. COKESON [Roused from his abstraction] Eh? Impossible. Send her away! JAMES What's that? COKESON Nothing, Mr. James. A private matter. Here, I'll come myself. [He goes into the outer office as JAMES passes into the partners' room] Now, you really mustn't--we can't have anybody just now. RUTH Not for a minute, sir? COKESON Reely! Reely! I can't have it. If you want him, wait about; he'll be going out for his lunch directly. RUTH Yes, sir. WALTER, entering with the cashier, passes RUTH as she leaves the outer office.

JAMES Good-morning, Mr. Cowley. You've seen my son and myself, you've seen Mr. Cokeson, and you've seen Sweedle, my office-boy. It was none of us, I take it. The cashier shakes his head with a smile. JAMES Be so good as to sit there. Cokeson, engage Mr. Cowley in conversation, will you? He goes toward FALDER'S room. COKESON Just a word, Mr. James. JAMES Well? COKESON You don't want to upset the young man in there, do you? He's a nervous young feller. JAMES This must be thoroughly cleared up, Cokeson, for the sake of Falder's name, to say nothing of yours. COKESON [With Some dignity] That'll look after itself, sir. He's been upset once this morning; I don't want him startled again. JAMES It's a matter of form; but I can't stand upon niceness over a thing like this--too serious. Just talk to Mr. Cowley. He opens the door of FALDER'S room.

JAMES Bring in the papers in Boulter's lease, will you, Falder? COKESON [Bursting into voice] Do you keep dogs? The cashier, with his eyes fixed on the door, does not answer. COKESON You haven't such a thing as a bulldog pup you could spare me, I suppose? At the look on the cashier's face his jaw drops, and he turns to see FALDER standing in the doorway, with his eyes fixed on COWLEY, like the eyes of a rabbit fastened on a snake. FALDER [Advancing with the papers] Here they are, sir! JAMES [Taking them] Thank you. FALDER Do you want me, sir? JAMES No, thanks! FALDER turns and goes back into his own room. As he shuts the door JAMES gives the cashier an interrogative look, and the cashier nods. JAMES Sure? This isn't as we suspected. COWLEY Quite. He knew me. I suppose he can't slip out of that room?