Rumpole and the Heavy Brigade.

by John Mortimer.

From "Rumpole of the Bailey".

The story of my most recent murder, and my defence of Petey Delgardo, the youngest, and perhaps the most appalling of the disagreeable Delgardo brothers, raises several matters which are painful, not to say embarrassing for me to recall. The tale begins with Rumpole's reputation at its lowest, and although it has now risen somewhat, it has done so for rather curious and not entirely creditable reasons, as you shall hear.

After the case of the 'Dartford Post Office Robbery', which I have recounted in the previous chapter, I noticed a distinct slump in the Rumpole practice. I had emerged, as I thought, triumphant from that encounter with the disciplinary authority; but I suppose I was marked, for a while, as a barrister who had been reported for professional misconduct. The quality of briefs which landed on the Rumpole corner of the mantelpiece in our clerk's room were deteriorating and I spent a great deal more time pottering round Magistrates Courts or down at Sessions than I did in full flood round the marble halls of the Old Bailey.

So last winter picture Rumpole in the November of his days, walking in the mists, under the black branches of bare trees to Chambers, and remembering Thomas Hood.

'No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease, No comfortable feel in any member, No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees, No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds, November !' As I walked, I hoped there might be some sort of trivial little brief waiting for me in Chambers. In November an old man's fancy lightly turned to thoughts of indecent assault, which might bring briefs at London Sessions and before the Uxbridge Justices. (Oh God! Oh, Uxbridge Justices!) I had started forty years ago, defending a charge of unsolicited grope on the Northern Line. And that's what I was back to. In my end is my beginning.

I pushed open the door of my Chambers and went into the clerk's room. There was a buzz of activity, very little of it, I was afraid, centring round the works of Rumpole, but Henry was actually smiling as he sat in his shirt-sleeves at his desk and called out, 'Mr Rumpole.' 'Stern daughter of the Voice of God! Oh, duty! Oh my learned clerk, what are the orders for today, Henry? Mine not to reason why. Mine but to do or die, before some Court of Summary Jurisdiction.' 'There's a con. Waiting for you, sir. In a new matter, from Maurice Nooks and Parsley.' Henry had mentioned one of the busiest firms of criminal solicitors, who had a reputation of being not too distant from some of their heavily villainous clients. In fact the most active partner was privately known to me as 'Shady' Nooks.

'New matter?' '"The Stepney Road Stabbing". Mr Nooks says you'll have read about it in the papers.' In fact I had read about it in that great source of legal knowledge, the News of the World. The Delgardo brothers, Leslie and Basil, were a legend in the East End; they gave copiously to charity, they had friends in' show business' and went on holiday with a certain Police Superintendent and a well-known Member of Parliament. They hadn't been convicted of any or Tence, although their young brother, Peter Delgardo, had occasionally been in trouble. They ran a club known as the Paradise Rooms, a number of protection rackets, and a seaside home for orphans. They were a devoted family and Leslie and Basil were said to be particularly concerned when their brother Peter was seen by several witnesses kneeling in the street outside a pub called the Old Justice beside the blood-stained body of an East End character known as Tosher MacBride. Later a knife, liberally smeared with blood of MacBride's group, was found beside the driver's seat of Peter Delgardo's elderly Daimler. He was arrested in the Paradise Rooms to which he had apparently fled for protection after the death of Tosher. The case seemed hopeless but the name 'Delgardo' made sure it would hit the headlines. I greeted the news that it was corning Rumpole's way with a low whistle of delight. I took the brief from Henry.

'"My heart leaps up when I behold... a rainbow in the sky." Or a murder in the offing. I have to admit it. I suddenly thought of the fly in the ointment.

'I suppose they're giving me a leader, in a murder?' 'They haven't mentioned a leader,' Henry seemed puzzled.

'I suppose it'll be Featherstone. Well, at least it'll get me back to the Bailey. My proper stamping ground.' I moved towards the door, and it was then my clerk Henry mentioned a topic which, as you will see, has a vital part to play in this particular narrative, my hat. Now I am not particularly self-conscious as far as headgear is concerned and the old black Anthony Eden has seen, it must be admitted, a good many years' service. It has travelled to many far-flung courts in fand weather and foul, it once had a small glowing cigar end dropped in it as it lay under Rumpole's seat in Pommeroy's, it once blew off on a windy day in Newington Causeway and was run over by a bicycle. The hat is therefore, it must be admitted, like its owner, scarred and battered by life, no longer in its first youth and in a somewhat collapsed condition. All the same it fits me comfortably and keeps the rain out most of the time. I have grown used to my hat and, in view of our long association, I have a certain affection for it. I was therefore astonished when Henry followed me to the door and, in a lowered tone as if he were warning me that the coppers had called to arrest me, he said, 'The other clerks were discussing your hat, sir. Over coffee.' 'My God! They must be hard up for conversation, to fill in a couple of hours round the A.B.C.' 'And they were passing the comment, it's a subject of a good many jokes, in the Temple.' 'Well, it's seen some service.' I took off the offending article and looked at it. 'And it shows it.' 'Quite frankly, Mr Rumpole, I can't send you down the Bailey, not on a top-class murder, in a hat like it.' 'You mean the jury might get a peep at the titfer, and convict without leaving the box?" I couldn't believe my ears.

'Mr Featherstone wears a nice bowler, Mr Rumpole.' 'I am not leading counsel, Henry,' I told him firmly. 'I am not the Conservative-Labour M.P. for somewhere or other, and I don't like nice bowlers. Our old clerk Albert managed to live with thfs hat for a good many years.' 'There's been some changes made since Albert's time, Mr Rumpole.' Henry had laid himself open, and I'm afraid I made the unworthy comment.

'Oh, yes! I got some decent briefs in Albert's time. The "Penge Bungalow Murder", the Brighton forgery. I wasn't put out to grass in the Uxbridge Magistrates' Court.' The chands in my room in Chambers have become a little wobbly over the years and my first thought was that the two large men sitting on them might be in some danger of collapse. They both wore blue suits made of some lightweight material, and both had gold wrist watches and identity bracelets dangling at their wrists. They had diamond rings, pink faces and brushed back black hand. Leslie Delgardo was the eldest and the most affable, his brother Basil had an almost permanent look of discontent and his voice easily became querulous. In attendance, balanced on my insecure furniture, were ' Shady" Nooks, a silver handed and suntanned person who also sported a large gold wristwatch, and his articled clerk, Miss Stebbings, a nice-looking girl fresh from law school, who had clearly no idea what area of the law she had got into.

I lit a small cigar, looked round the assembled company, and said,' Our client is not with us, of course.' 'Hardly, Mr Rumpole,' said Nooks. 'Mr Peter Delgardo has been moved to the prison hospital.' 'He's never been a well boy, our Petey.' Leslie Delgardo sounded sorrowful.

'Our client's health has always been an anxiety to his brothers/ Nooks explained. ' I see.' I hastily consulted the brief.' The victim of the murder was a gentleman called Tosher MacBride. Know anything about him?' 'I believe he was a rent collector.' Nooks sounded vague.

'Not a bad start. The jury!! be against murder but if someone has to go it may as well be the rent collector.' I flipped through the depositions until I got to the place where I felt most at home, the forensic report on the blood.

'Bloodstains on your brother's sleeve.' ' Group consistent with ten percent of the population,' said Nooks.

'Including Tosher MacBride? And Exhibit 1, a sheath knife. Mr MacBride's blood on that, or, of course, ten percent of the population. Knife found in your brother's ancient Daimler. Fallen down by the driver's seat. Bloodstains on his coat sleeve? Bloodstained sheath knife in his car?' ' I know it looks black for young Peter.' Leslie shook his head sadly.

I looked up at him sharply. 'Let's say it's evidence, Mr Delgardo, on which the prosecution might expect to get a conviction, unless the judge has just joined the Fulham Road Anarchists, or the jury's drunk.' 'You'll pull it off for Petey.' It was the first time Basil Delgardo had spoken and his words showed, I thought, a touching faith in Rumpole.

'Pull it off? I shall sit behind my learned leader. I presume you're going to Guthrie Featherstone, Q.C., in these Chambers?' Then Nooks uttered words which were, I must confess, music to my ears.

' Well, actually, Mr Rumpole. On this one. No.' 'Mr Rumpole. My brothers and I, we've heard of your wonderful reputation,' said Basil.

'I did the "Penge Bungalow Murder" without a leader,' I admitted. 'But that was thirty years ago. They let me loose on that.' ' We've heard golden opinions of you, Mr Rumpole. Golden opinions!' Leslie Delgardo made an expansive gesture, rattling his identity bracelet. I got up and looked out of the window.

'No one mentioned the hat?' 'Pardon me?' Leslie sounded puzzled, and Nooks added his voice to the vote of confidence.

'Mr Delgardo's brothers are peifectly satisfied, Mr Rumpole, to leave this one entirely to you.' 'Now is the Winter of my Discontent, Made Glorious Summer by a first-class murder.' I turned back to the group, apologetic. 'I'm sorry, gentlemen. Insensitive, I'm afraid. All these months round the Uxbridge Magistrates Court have blunted my sensitivity. To your brother it can hardly seem such a sign of summer.' ' We're perfectly confident, Mr Rumpole, you can handle it.' Basil lit a cigarette with a gold lighter and I went back to the desk.

'Handle it? Of course I can handle it. As I always say, murder is nothing more than common assault, with unfortunate consequences.' 'We'll arrange it for you to see the doctor.' Nooks was businesslike.

'I'm perfectly well, thank you.' 'Doctor Lewis Bleen,' said Leslie, and Nooks explained patiently,' The well-known psychiatrist. On the subject of Mr . Peter Delgardo's mental capacity.' 'Poor Petey. He's never been right, Mr Rumpole. We've always had to look after him,' Leslie explained his responsibilities, as head of the family.

'You could call him Peter Pan,' Basil made an unexpected literary reference. 'The little boy that never grew up.' I doubted the accuracy of this analogy.' I don't know whether Peter Pan was actually responsible for many stabbings down Stepney High Street.' 'But that's it, Mr Rumpole!' Leslie shook his head sadly.

'Peter's not responsible, you see. Not poor old Petey. No more responsible than a child/ Doctor Lewis Bleen, Diploma of Psychological Medicine from the University of Edinburgh, Head-Shrinker Extraordinande, Resident Guru of 'What's Bugging You' answers to listeners' problems, had one of those accents which remind you of the tinkle of cups and the thud of dropped scones in Edinburgh tea-rooms. He sat and sucked his pipe in the interview room at Brixton and looked in a motherly fashion at the youngest of the Delgardos who was slumped in front of us, staring moodily at nothing in particular.

'Remember me, do you?' 'Doctor B ... Bleen.' Petey had his brothers' features, but the sharpness of their eyes was blurred in his, his big hands were folded in his lap and he wore a perpetual puzzled frown. He also spoke with a stammer. His answer hadn't pleased the good doctor, who tried again.

'Do you know the time, Petey?' 'N... N ... No.' 'Disorientated ... as to time!' Better pleased, the doctor made a note.

'That might just be because he's not wearing a watch,' I was unkind enough to suggest.

The doctor ignored me. 'Where are you, Peter?' 'Inthen... n ...' 'Nick?' I suggested.

'Hospital wing.' Peter confirmed my suggestion.

'Orientated as to place!' was my diagnosis. Doctor Bleen gave me a sour look, as though I'd just spat out the shortcake.

'Possibly.' He turned back to our patient. 'When we last met, Peter, you told me you couldn't remember how MacBride got stabbed.' 'N...NO.' "There appears to be a complete blotting out of all the facts,' the doctor announced with quiet satisfaction.

'Mightn't it be worth asking him whether he was there when Tosher got stabbed?' I was bold enough to ask, at which Nooks chipped in.

'Mr Rumpole. As a solictor of some little experience, may I interject here?' 'If you have to.' I sighed and fished for a small cigar.

'Doctor Bleen will correct me if I'm wrong but, as I understand he's prepared to give evidence that at the relevant moment' So far I have no idea when the relevant moment was.' I lit the cigar. Nooks carried on regardless.

'Mr Delgardo's mind was so affected that he didn't know the nature and quality of his act, nor did he know that what he was doing was wrong.' 'You mean he thought he was giving Tosher a warm handshake, and welcome to the Rent Collectors' Union?' 'That's not exactly how I suggest we put it to the learned judge.' Nooks smiled at me as though at a wayward child.

'Then how do you suggest we tell it to the old sweetheart?' ' Guilty but insane, Mr Rumpole. We rather anticipated your advice would be that, guilty but insane in law.' 'And have you anticipated what the prosecution might say?' 'Peter has been examined by a Doctor Stotter from the Home Office. I don't think you'll find him unhelpful,' said Doctor Bleen. 'Charles Stotter and I play golf together. We've had a word about this case."

'Rum things you get up to playing golf. It always struck me as a good game to avoid.' I turned and drew Peter Delgardo into the conversation. 'Well, Peter. You'll want to be getting back to the telly.' Peter stood up. I was surprised by his height and his apparent strength, a big pale man in an old dressing gown and pyjamas.

'Just one question before you go. Did you stab Tosher MacBride?' The doctor smiled at me tolerantly. 'Oh I don't think the answer to that will be particularly reliable.' 'Even the question may strike you as unreliable, doctor. All the same, I'm asking it.' I moved closer to Peter. 'Because if you did, Peter, we can call the good shrink here, and Doctor Stotter fresh from the golf course, and they'll let you off lightly! You'll go to Broadmoor at Her Majesty's Pleasure, and of course Her Majesty will be thinking of you constantly. You'll get a lot more telly, and some exciting basket-weaving, and a handful of pills every night to keep you quiet, Petey, and if you're very good they might let you weed the doctors' garden or play cricket against the second eleven of male warders ... but I can't offer you these delights until I know. Did you stab Tosher?' 'I think my patient's tired.' I turned on the trick cyclist at last, and said, 'He's not your patient at the moment. He's my client.' 'Doctor Bleen has joined us at great personal inconvenience.' Nooks was distressed.

'Then I wouldn't dream of detaining him a moment longer.' At which point Doctor Lewis Bleen D.P.M. (Edinburgh) left in what might mildly be described as a huff. When he'd been seen off the premises by a helpful trusty, I repeated my question.

'Did you do it, Peter?' 'I c ... c ... c..." The answer, whatever it was, was a long time in coming.

Nooks supplied a word. 'Killed him?' but Peter shook his head.

' Couldn't of. He was already c ... cut. When I saw him, like.' 'You see, I can't let you get sent to hospital unless you did it,' I explained as though to a child. 'If you didn't, well... just have to fight the case.' 'I wants you to f... f... fight it. I'm not going into any nut house.' Peter Delgardo's instructions were perfectly clear.

' And if we fight we might very well lose. You understand that ?' 'My b ... b ... brothers have told me ... You're hot stuff, they told me ... Tip top lawyer.' Once again I was puzzled by the height of my reputation with the Delgardos. But I wasn't going to argue. 'Tip top? Really? Well, let's say I've got to know a trick or two, over the years ... a few wrinkles ... Sit down, Peter.' Peter sat down slowly, and I sat opposite him, ignoring the restive Nooks and his articled clerk.

'Now, hadn't you better tell me exactly what happened, the night Tosher MacBride got stabbed?' I was working overtime a few days later when my door opened and in walked no less a person than Guthrie Featherstone, Q.c., M.P., our Head of Chambers. My relations with Featherstone, ever since he pipped me at the post for the position of Head, have always been somewhat uneasy, and were not exactly improved when I seized command of the ship when he was leading me in the matter of the 'Dartford Post Office Robbery'. We have little enough in common. Featherstone, as Henry pointed out, wears a nice bowler and a black velvet collar on his overcoat; his nails are well manicured, his voice is carefully controlled, as are his politics. He gets on very well with judges and solicitors and not so well with the criminal clientele. He has never been less than polite to me, even at my most mutinous moments, and now he smiled with considerable bonhomie.

'Rumpole! You're a late bird!' 'Just trying to feather my nest. With a rather juicy little murder.' Featherstone dropped into my tattered leather armchand, reserved for clients, and carefully examined his well-polished black brogues.

'Maurice Nooks told me, he's not taking in a leader.' 'That's right.' 'I know the last time I led you wasn't succesfoul.' 'I'm a bit of a back seat driver, I'm afraid.' 'Of course, you're an old hand at crime," Featherstone conceded.

'An old lag you might say.' 'But it's a question of tactics in this case. Maurice said, if I appeared, it might look as if they'd rather over-egged the pudding.' 'You think the jury might prefer, a bit of good plain cooking?' I looked at him and he smiled delightfully.

'You put things rather well, sometimes.' There was a pause, and then the learned leader got down to what was, I suppose, the nub and the purpose of his visit.

'Horace. I'm anxious to put an end to any sort of rift between the two senior men in Chambers. It doesn't make for a happy ship.' 'Aye aye sir.' I gave him a brief nautical salute from my position at the desk.

'I'm glad you agree. Serieusement, Horace, we don't see enough of each other socially.' He paused again, but I could find nothing to say. ' I've got a couple of tickets for the Scales of Justice ball at the Savoy. Would you join me and Marigold?' To say I was taken aback would be an understatement. I was astonished. 'Let's get this quite clear, Featherstone.' ' Oh "Guthrie", please.' 'Very well Guthrie. You're asking me to trip the light fantastic toe ... with your wife?' 'And if you'd like to bring your good lady.' I looked at Featherstone in total amazement. 'My ...' 'Your missus.' 'Are you referring, at all, to my wife? She Who Must Be Obeyed? Do I take it you actually want to spend an evening out with She!' 'It'll be great fun.' 'Do you really think so?' He had lost me now. I went to the door and unhooked the mac and the old hat, preparatory to calling it a day. However, Featherstone had some urgent matter to communicate, apparently of an embarrassing nature.

' Oh, and Horace ... this is rather embarrassing. It's just that . .. It's well... your name came up on the bench at our Inn only last week. I was lunching with Mr Justice Prestcold.' 'That must have been a jolly occasion,' I told him. 'Like dinner with the Macbeths.' I knew Mr Justice Prestcold of old, and he and I had never hit it off, or seen eye to eye. In fact you might say there was always a cold wind blowing in court between counsel and the bench whenever Rumpole rose to his feet before Prestcold J. He could be guaranteed to ruin my cross-examination, interrupt my speech, fail to sum up the defence and send any Rumpole client down for a hefty six if he could find the slightest excuse for it. Prestcold was an extraordinarily clean man, his cuffs and bands were whiter than white, he was forever polishing his rimless glasses on a succession of snowy handkerchiefs. They say, and God knows what truth there is in it, that Prestcold travels on circuit with a portable loo seat wrapped in plastic. His clerk has the unenviable job of seeing that it is screwed in at the lodgings, so his Lordship may not sit where less fastidious judges have sat before.

' He was asking who we had in Chambers and I was able to tell him Horace Rumpole, inter alia.' ' I can't imagine Frank Prestcold eating. I suppose he might just be brought to sniff the bouquet of a grated carrot.' 'And he said, "You mean the fellow with the disgraceful hat?'"

'Mr Justice Prestcold was talking about my hat? I couldn't believe my ears.

'He seemed to think, forgive me for raising this, that your hat set the worst possible example to younger men at the Bar.' With enormous self-control I kept my temper. 'Well, you can tell Mr Justice Prestcold, the next time you're sharing the Benchers' Vegetarian Platter ... That when I was last before him I took strong exception to his cufflinks. They looked to me just as cheap and glassy as his eyes!' 'Don't take offence, Horace. It's just not worth it, you know, taking offence at Her Majesty's judges. We'll look forward to the Savoy. Best to your good lady.' I crammed on the hat, gave him a farewell wave and left him. I felt, that evening, that I was falling out of love with the law. I really couldn't believe that Mr Justice Prestcold had been discussing my hat. I mean, wasn't the crime rate rising? Wasn't the State encroaching on our liberties? Wasn't Magna Carta tottering? Whither Habeus Corpus? What was to be done about the number of 12-year-old girls who are making advances to old men in cinemas? What I thought was, hadn't judges of England got enough on their plates without worrying about my hat! I gave the matter mature consideration on my way home on the Inner Circle, and decided that they probably hadn't.

A few mornings later I picked up the collection of demands, final demands and positively final demands which constitutes our post and among the hostile brown envelopes I found a gilded and embossed invitation card. I took the whole lot into the kitchen to file away in the tidy bin when She Who Must Be Obeyed entered and caught me at it.

'Horace,' She said severely. 'Whatever are you doing with the post?' 'Just throwing it away. Always throw bills away the first time they come in. Otherwise you only encourage them.' 'If you had a few decent cases, Rumpole, if you weren't always slumming round the Magistrates Courts, you might not be throwing away bills all the time.' At which she pedalled open the tidy bin and spotted the fatal invitation.

'What's that?' 'I think it's the gas.' It was too late, She had picked the card out from among the potato peelings.

' I never saw a gas bill with a gold embossed crest before. It's an invitation! To the Savoy Hotel!' She started to read the thing. 'Horace Rumpole and Lady.' 'You wouldn't enjoy it,' I hastened to assure her.

'Why wouldn't I enjoy it?' She wiped the odd fragment of potato off the card, carried it into the living-room in state, and gave it pride of place on the mantelpiece. I followed her, protesting.

'You know what it is. Boiled shirts. Prawn cocktail. Watching a lot of judges pushing their wives round the parquet to selections from Oklahoma.' 'It'll do you good Rumpole. That's the sort of place you ought to be seen in: the Scales of Justice ball.' ' It's quite impossible.' The situation was becoming desperate.

'I don't see why.' I had an inspiration, and assumed an expression of disgust. 'We're invited by Marigold Featherstone.' 'The wife of your Head of Chambers?' ' An old boot! A domestic tyrant. You know what the wretched Guthrie calls her? She Who Must Be Obeyed. No. The ball is out, Hilda. You and Marigold wouldn't hit it off at all.' Well, I thought, She and sweet Marigold would never meet, so I was risking nothing. I seized the hat and prepared to retreat. 'Got to leave you now. Murder calls.' 'Why didn't you tell me we were back to murder? This is good news.' Hilda was remarkably cheerful that morning.

'Murder,' I told her, 'is certainly better than dancing.' And I was gone about my business. Little did I know that the moment my back was turned Hilda looked up the Featherstone's number in the telephone book.

* 'You can't do it to Peter! I tell you, you can't do it! Fight the case? How can he fight the case?' Leslie Delgardo had quite lost the cool and knowing and of a successful East End businessman. His face was flushed and he thumped his fist on my table, jangling his identity bracelet and disturbing the notice of additional evidence I was reading, that of Bernard Whelpton, known as 'Four Eyes'.

'Whelpton's evidence doesn't help. I'm sure you'll agree, Mr Rumpole,' Nooks said gloomily.

'You read that! You read what "Four Eyes" has to say.' Leslie collapsed breathless into my client's chand. I read the document which ran roughly as follows. 'Tosher MacBride used to take the mick out of Peter on account he stammered and didn't have no girl friends. One night I saw Peter try to speak to a girl in the Paradise Rooms. He was asking the girl to have a drink but his stutter was so terrible. Tosher said to her," Come on, darling ... It'll be breakfast time before the silly git finishes asking for a light ale." After I heard Peter Delgardo say as he'd get Tosher. He said he'd like to cut him one night.' 'He's not a well boy,' Leslie was wiping his forehead with a mauve silk handkerchief.

'When I came out of the Old Justice pub that night I see Tosher on the pavement and Petey Delgardo was kneeling beside him. There was blood all over.' I looked up at Nooks. 'You know it's odd. No one actually saw the stabbing.' 'But Petey was there wasn't he?' Leslie was returning the handkerchief to his breast pocket. 'And what's the answer about the knife?' ' In my humble opinion,' Nooks' opinions were often humble, 'the knife in the car is completely damning.' 'Oh completely.' I got up, lit a small cigar, and told Leslie my own far from humble opinion. 'You know, I'd have had no doubts about this case if you hadn't just proved your brother innocent.' 'I did?' The big man in the chand looked at me in a wild surmise.

'When you sent Doctor Lewis Bleen, the world-famous trick cyclist, the head shrinker extraordinande, down to see Petey in Brixton. If you'd done a stabbing, and you were offered a nice quiet trip to hospital, wouldn't you take it? If the evidence was dead against you?' 'You mean Peter turned it down?' Leslie Delgardo clearly couldn't believe his ears.

'Of course he did!' I told him cheerfully. 'Petey may not be all that bright, poor old darling, but he knows he didn't kill Tosher MacBride.' The committal was at Stepney Magistrates Court and Henry told me that there was a good deal of interest and that the vultures of the press might be there.

'I thought I should warn you sir. Just in case you wanted to buy ...' 'I know, I know,' I interrupted him. 'Perhaps, Henry, there's a certain amount of force in your argument. " Vanity of vanities, all is vanity," said the preacher.' Here was I a barrister of a certain standing, doing a notable murder alone and without a leader, the type of person whose picture might appear in the Evening Standard, and I came to the reluctant conclusion that my present headgear was regrettably unphotogenic. I took a taxi to St James' Street and invested in a bowler, which clamped itself to the head like a vice but which caused Henry, when he saw it, to give me a smile of genuine gratitude.

That evening I had forgotten the whole subject of hats and was concerned with a matter that interests me far more deeply: blood. I had soaked the rubber sponge that helps with the washing up and, standing at the kitchen sink, stabbed violently down into it with a table knife. It produced, as I had suspected, a spray of water, leaving small spots all over my shirt and waistcoat.

' Horace! Horace, you look quite different.' Hilda was looking at the evening paper in which there was a picture of Pete Delgardo's heroic defender arriving at Court. 'I know what it is, Horace! You went out. And bought a new hat. Without me.' I stabbed again, having re-soaked the sponge.

' A bowler. Daddy used to wear a bowler. It's an improvement.' Hilda was positively purring at my dapper appearance in the paper.

'Little splashes. All over the place,' I observed, committing further mayhem on the sponge.

'Horace. Whatever are you doing to the washing up?' 'All over. In little drops. Not one great stain. Little drops. Like a fine rain. And plenty on the cuff.' 'Your cuff's soaking. Oh, why couldn't you roll up your sleeve?' I felt the crook of my arm, and was delighted to discover that it was completely dry.

'Now I know why you didn't want to take me to the Scales of Justice annual ball.' Hilda looked at the Evening Standard with less pleasure. 'You're too grand now, aren't you Rumpole? New hat! Picture in the paper! Big case! "Horace Rumpole. Defender of the Stepney Road Stabber". Big noise at the Bar. I suppose you didn't think I'd do you credit.' 'That's nonsense, Hilda.' I mopped up some of the mess round the sink, and dried my hands.

'Then why?' I went and sat beside her, and tried to comfort her with Keats. 'Look. We're in the Autumn of our years. "Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun..."' 'I really can't understand why I' ''' Where are the songs of Spring ? Ay, where are they ? Think not on them, thou hast thy music too." But not jigging about like a couple of Punk Rockers. At a dance!' ' I very much doubt if they have Punk Rockers at the Savoy. Doesn't it occur to you, Rumpole? We never go out!' ' I'm perfectly happy. I'm not longing to go to the ball, like bloody Cinderella.' 'Well, I am!' I thought Hilda was being most unreasonable, and I decided to point out the fatal flaw in the entire scheme concerning the Scales of Justice ball.

'Hilda. I can't dance.' 'You can't what?' 'Dance. I can't do it.' ' You're lying, Rumpole!' The accusation was so unexpected that I looked at her in a wild surmise. And then she said, 'Would you mind casting your mind back to the I4th of August 1938?' ' What happened then ?' 'You proposed to me, Rumpole. As a matter of fact, it was when you proposed. I shouldn't expect you to remember.' ' 1938. Of course! The year I did the "Euston Bank Robbery". Led by your father.' 'Led by Daddy. You were young, Rumpole. Comparatively young. And where did you propose, exactly? Can't you try and remember that ?' As I have said, I have no actual memory of proposing to Hilda at all. It seemed to me that I slid into the lifetime contract unconsciously, as a weary man drifts off into sleep. Any words, I felt sure, were spoken by her. I also had temporarily forgotten where the incident took place and hazarded a guess.

'At a bus stop?' ' Of course it wasn't at a bus stop.' 'It's just that your father always seemed to be detaining me at bus stops. I thought you might have been with him at the time.1 'You proposed to me in a tent.' Hilda came to my aid at last. 'There was a band. And champagne. And some sort of cold collation. Daddy had taken me to the Inns of Court ball to meet some of the bright young men in Chambers. He told me then, you'd been very helpful to him on blood groups.' ' It was the year before I did the "Penge Bungalow Murder",' I remembered vaguely. 'Hopeless on blood, your father, he could never bring himself to look at the photographs.' 'And we danced together. We actually waltzed together.' 'That's simple! That's just a matter of circling round and round. None of your bloody jigging about concerned with it!' It was then that Hilda stood up and took my breath away. 'Well, we can waltz again, Rumpole. You'd better get into training for it. I rang up Marigold Featherstone and I told her we'd be delighted to accept the invitation.' She gave me a little smile of victory. 'And I tell you what. She didn't sound like an old boot at all.' I was speechless, filled with mute resentment. I'd been double-crossed.

My toilette for the Delgardo murder case went no further than the acquisition of a new hat. As I sat in Court listening to the evidence for the prosecution of Bernard 'Four Eyes' Whelpton, I was vaguely conscious of the collapsed state of the wig (bought secondhand from an ex Chief Justice of Tonga in the early thirties), the traces of small cigar and breakfast egg on the waistcoat, and the fact that the bands had lost their pristine crisp-ness and were forever sagging to reveal the glitter of the brass collar-stud.

I looked up and saw the judge staring at me with bleak dis-anoroval and felt desperately to ensure that the fly buttons were safely fastened. Fate span her bloody wheel, and I had drawn Mr Justice Prestcold; Frank Prestcold, who took such grave exception to my hat, and who now looked without any apparent enthusiasm at the rest of my appearance. Well, I couldn't help him, I couldn't even hold up the bowler to prove I'd tried. I did my best to ignore the judge and concentrate on the evidence. Mr Hilary Painswick, Q.C., the perfectly decent old darling who led for the prosecution, was just concreting in' Four Eyes' story.

' Mr Whelpton. I take it you haven't given this evidence in any spirit of enmity against the man in the dock?' The man in the dock looked, as usual, as if he'd just been struck between the eyes with a heavy weight. Bernie Whelpton smiled charmingly, and said indiscreetly, 'No. I'm Petey's friend. We was at university together.' At which Rumpole rose up like thunder and, to Prestcold J's intense displeasure, asked for the jury to be removed so that he could lodge an objection. When the jury had gone out the judge forced himself to look at me.

'What is the basis of your objection, Mr Rumpole? On the face of it the evidence that this gentleman was at university with your client seems fandly harmless.' 'This may come as a surprise to your Lordship.' ' May it, Mr Rumpole ?' 'My client is not an old King's man. He didn't meet Mr "Four Eyes" Whelpton at a May Ball during Eights Week. The university referred to is, in fact, Parkhurst Prison.' The judge applied his razor-sharp mind and saw a way of overruling my objection.

'Mr Rumpole! I very much doubt whether the average juryman has your intimate knowledge of the argot of the underworld.' 'Your Lordship is too complimentary.' I gave him a bow and a brassy flash of the collar-stud.

' I think no harm has been done. I appreciate your anxiety to keep your client's past record out of the case. Shall we have the jury back?' Before the jury came back I got a note from Leslie Delgardo telline me. as I knew verv well, that Wheloton had a conviction for perjury. I ignored this information, and did my best to make a friend of the little Cockney who gazed at me through spectacles thick as ginger beer bottles.

'Mr Whelpton, when you saw my client. Peter Delgardo, kneeling beside Tosher MacBride, did he have his arm round Mr MacBride's neck?' 'Yes, sir.' ' Supporting his head from behind?' 'I suppose so.' 'Rather in the attitude of a nurse or a doctor who was trying to bring help to the wounded man?' 'I didn't know your client had any medical qualifications!' Mr Justice Prestcold was trying one of his glacial jokes. I pretended I hadn't heard it, and concentrated on Bernie Whelpton.

'Were you able to see Peter Delgardo's hands when he was holding Tosher?' 'Yes.' 'Anything in them, was there ?' 'Not as I saw."

'He wasn't holding this knife, for instance?' I had the murder weapon on the desk in front of me and held it up for the jury to see.

' I tell you. I didn't see no knife.' ' I don't know whether my learned friend remembers.' Hilary Painswick uncoiled himself beside me. 'The knife was found in the car.' 'Exactly!' I smiled gratefully at Painswick. 'So my client stabbed Tosher. Ran to his car. Dropped the murder weapon in by the driver's seat and then came back across the pavement to hold Tosher in his arms and comfort his dying moments.' I turned back to the witness.' Is that what you're saying ? * ' He might have slipped the knife in his pocket.' 'Mr Rumpole!' Prestcold J. had something to communicate.

'Yes, my Lord?' 'This is not the time for arguing your case. This is the time for asking questions. If you think this point has any substance you will no doubt remind the jury of it when you come to make up your final address; at some time in the no doubt distant future.' ' I'm grateful. And no doubt your Lordship will also remind the jury of it in your summing up, should it slip my memory. It really is such an unanswerable point for the defence.' I saw the Prestcold mouth open for another piece of snappy repartee, and forstalled him by rapidly re-starting the cross-examination.

' And Whelpton. You didn't see Tosher stabbed?' ' I was in the Old Justice wasn't I ?' 'You tell us. And when you came out, Tosher...' 'Might it not be more respectful to call that good man, the deceased, "Mr MacBride " ?' the judge interrupted wearily.

'If you like. "That good man Mr MacBride" was bleeding in my client's arms ?' 'That was the first I saw of him. Yes.' 'And when he saw you Mr Delgardo let go of Tosher, of that good man Mr MacBride, ran to his car and got into it ?' 'And then he drove away.' 'Exactly. You saw him get into his car. How did he do it?' 'Just turned the handle and pulled the door open.' ' So the car was unlocked?' ' I suppose it was. I didn't really think.' 'You suppose the door was unlocked.' I looked at the judge who appeared to have gone into some sort of a trance. 'Don't go too fast, Mr Whelpton. My Lord wants an opportunity to make a note." At which the judge returned to earth and was forced to take up his pencil. As he wrote, Leslie Delgardo leaned forward from the seat behind me and said, 'Here, Mr Rumpole. What do you think you're doing?' 'Having a bit of fun. You don't grudge it to me, do you?' The next item on the agenda was the officer in charge of the case, a perfectly reasonable fellow with a grey suit, who looked like the better type of bank manager.

'Detective Inspector. You photographed Mr Delgardo's antique Daimler when you got it back to the station?' 'Yes.' The officer leafed through a bundle of photographs.

'Was it then exactly as you found it outside the Old Justice?' 'Exactly.' ' Unlocked? With the driver's window open?' ' Yes. We found the car unlocked.' 'Then it would have been easy for anyone to have thrown something in through the driver's window, or even put something in through the door ?' ' I don't follow you, sir. Something?' I found my prop and held it up. Exhibit i, a flick knife.' Something like this knife could have been dropped into Peter Delgardo's car, in a matter of moments?' I saw the judge actually writing.

' I suppose it could, sir.' 'By the true murderer, whoever it was, when he was running away?' The usher was beside me, handing me the fruit of Mr Justice Prestcold's labours; a note to counsel which read,' Dear Rumpole. Your bands are falling down and showing your collar-stud. No doubt you would wish to adjust accordingly." What was this, a murder trial, or a bloody fashion parade? I crumpled the note, gave the bands a quick shove in a northerly direction, and went back to work.

'Detective Inspector. We've heard Tosher MacBride described as a rent collector.' 'Is there to be an attack on the dead man's character, Mr Rumpole?' ' I don't know, my Lord. I suppose there are charming rent collectors, just as there are absolute darlings from the Income Tax.' Laughter in Court, from which the judge remained aloof.

' Where did he collect rents ?' 'Business premises.' The officer was non-committal.

'What sort of business premises?' ' Cafes, my Lord. Pubs. Minicab offices.' 'And if the rent wasn't paid, do you know what remedies were taken?' 'I assume proceedings were taken in the County Court.' The judge sounded totally bored by this line of cross-examination.

'Alas, my Lord, some people have no legal training. If the rents weren't paid, sometimes those minicab offices caught on fire didn't they Detective Inspector?' ' Sometimes they did.' I told you, he was a very fand officer.

'To put it bluntly, that "good man" Tosher MacBride was a collector for a protection racket.' 'Well, officer, was he?' said Prestcold, more in sorrow than in anger.

' Yes, my Lord. I think he was.' For the first time I felt I was forcing the judge to look in a different direction, and see the case from a new angle. I rubbed in the point. 'And if he'd been sticking to the money he'd collected, that might have provided a strong motive for murder by someone other than my client? Stronger than a few unkind words about an impediment in his speech?' 'Mr Rumpole, isn't that a question for the jury?' I looked at the jury then, they were all alive and even listening, and I congratulated the old darling on the bench.

' You're right! It is, my Lord. And far no one else in this Court!' I thought it was effective, perhaps too effective for Leslie Delgardo, who stood up and left Court with a clatter. The swing doors banged to after him.

By precipitously leaving Court, Leslie Delgardo had missed the best turn on the bill, my double act with Mr Entwhistle, the forensic expert, an old friend and a foeman worthy of my steel.

'Mr Entwhistle, as a scientific officer I think you've lived with bloodstains as long as I have?' 'Almost.' The jury smiled, they were warming to Rumpole.

'And you have all the clothes my client was wearing that night. Have you examined the pockets ?' ' I have, my Lord.' Entwhistle bowed to the judge over a heap of Petey's clothing.

'And there are no bloodstains in any of the pockets ?' 'There are none.' ' So there can be no question of a bloodstained knife having been hidden in a pocket whilst my client cradled the deceased in his arms?' ' Of course not.' Entwhistle smiled discreetly.

' You find that a funny suggestion?' 'Yes I do. The idea's ridiculous.' 'You may be interested to know that it's on that ridiculous idea the prosecution are basing their case.' Painswick was on his feet with a well-justified moan. 'My Lord...' 'Yes. That was a quite improper observation, Mr Rumpole.' 'Then I pass from it rapidly, my Lord.' No point in wasting time with him, my business was with Entwhistle. 'Had Mr Delgardo stabbed the deceased, you would expect a spray of blood over a wide area of clothing?' ' You might have found that.' ' With small drops spattered from a forceful blow?' ' I should have expected so.' ' But you found nothing like it ?' 'No.' 'And you might have expected blood near the area of the cuff of the coat or the shirt?' 'Most probably.' ' In fact, all we have is a smear or soaked patch in the crook of the arm.' Mr Entwhistle picked up the overcoat, looked and, of course, admitted it.

'Yes.' 'Totally consistent with my client having merely put an arm round the deceased when he lay bleeding on the pavement.' ' Not inconsistent.' 'A double negative! The last refuge of an expert witness who doesn't want to commit himself. Does "not inconsistent" translated into plain English mean consistent, Mr Entwhistle?' I could have kissed old Entwhistle on the rimless specs when he turned to the jury and said,' Yes, it does.' So when I got outside and saw Leslie Delgardo sitting on a bench chewing the end of a cigar, I thought he would wish to congratulate me. I didn't think of a gold watch, or a crinkly fiver, but at least a few warm words of encouragement. So I was surprised when he said, in a tone of deep hostility,' What're you playing at, And Rumpole? Why didn't you use Bernie's conviction?' 'You really want to know?' Other members of the family were thronging about us, Basil and a matronly person in a mink coat, dabbing her eye make-up with a minute lace hanky.

' We all want to know,' said Basil,' all the family.' 'I know I'm only the boy's mother,' sobbed the lady in mink.

'Don't underestimate yourself madam,' I reassured her. 'You've bred three sons who have given employment to the legal profession.' Then I started to explain. 'Point one. I spent all this trial trying to keep your brother's record out. If I put in the convictions of a prosecution witness the jury'll get to know about Peter's stretch for unlawful wounding, back in 1970. You want that?' ' We thought it was helpful,' Basil grumbled.

'Did you?' I looked at him. 'I'm sure you did. Well, point two, the perjury was forging a passport application. I've already checked it. And point three.' 'Point three, Mr Rumpole. You're sacked.' Leslie's voice was high with anger. I felt grateful we weren't in a turning off Stepney High Street on a dark night.

'May I ask why?' 'You got that judge's back up proper. He'll do for Petey. Good afternoon, Mr Rumpole. I'm taking you off the case.' ' I don't think you can do that.' He'd started to walk away, but now turned back with a look of extreme hostility.

'Oh don't you?' 'The only person who can take me off this case is my client, Mr Peter Delgardo. Come along Nooks, we'd better go down to the cells.' * 'Your brother wants to sack me.' Petey looked at me with his usual lack of understanding. Nooks acted as a smooth interpreter.

'The position is, Mr Leslie Delgardo is a little perturbed at the course this case is taking.' 'Mr Leslie Delgardo isn't my client,' I reminded Peter.

' He thinks we've got on the wrong side of the judge.' I was growing impatient. 'Would he like to point out to me, strictly for my information, the right side of Mr Justice Prest-cold? What does that judge imagine he is? Court correspondent for The Tailor and Cutter?' I stamped out my small cigar.' Look, Peter, dear old sweetheart. I've abandoned the judge. He'll sum up dead against you. That's obvious. So let the jury think he's nothing but a personal anti-pollution programme who shoves and-wick up his nostrils every time he so much as smells a human being and we might have got somewhere.' 'Mr Leslie Delgardo is definitely dissatisfied. This puts me in a very embarrassing position.' Nooks looked suitably embarrassed.

'Cheer up, Nooks!' I smiled at him. 'Your position's nothing like so embarrassing as Peter's.' Then I concentrated on my client.' Well. What's it going to be ? Do I go or stay?' Peter began to stammer an answer. It took a long time to come but, when it did, it meant that just one week later, on the day of the Scales of Justice ball, I was making a final speech to the jury in the case of the Queen against Delgardo. I may say that I never saw Leslie, or Basil, or their dear old Mum again.

'Members of the jury, may I call your attention to a man we haven't seen. He isn't in the dock. He has never gone into that witness box. I don't know where he is now. Perhaps he's tasting the delights of the Costa Brava. Perhaps he's very near this Court waiting for news. I'll call him Mr X. Did Mr X employ that "good man" Tosher MacBride to collect money in one of his protection rackets? Had Tosher MacBride betrayed his trust and was he to die for it? So that rainy night, outside the Old Justice pub in Stepney, Mr X waited for Tosher, waited with this knife and, when he saw his unfaithful servant come out of the shadows, he stabbed. Not once. Not twice. But you have heard the evidence. Three times in the neck.' The jury was listening enrapt to my final speech; I was stabbing violently downwards with my prop when Prestcold cleared his throat and pointed to his own collar meaningfully. No doubt my stud was winking at him malevolently, so he said, 'Hm!... Mr Rumpole."

I ignored this, no judge alive was going to spoil the climax of my speech, and I could tell that the jury were flattered, not to say delighted, to hear me tell them, ' Of course you are the only judges of fact in this case. But if you find Peter Delgardo guilty, then Mr X will smile, and order up champagne. Because, wherever he is, he will know ... he's safe at last!' Frank Prestcold summed up, as I knew he would, dead against Petey. He called the prosecution evidence 'overwhelming' and the jury listened politely. They went out just after lunch, and were still out at 6.30 when I telephoned Hilda and told her that I'd change in Chambers, and meet her at the Savoy, and I wanted it clearly understood that I wasn't dancing. I was just saying this when the usher came out and told me that the jury were back with a verdict.

* After it was all over, I looked round in vain for Nooks. He had apparently gone to join the rest of the Delgardos in the great unknown. So I went down to say ' good-bye' to Peter in the cells. He was sitting inert, and staring into the middle distance.

'Cheer up, Peter.' I sat down beside him. 'Don't look so bloody miserable. My God. I don't know how you'd take it if you'd lost.' Peter shook his head, and then said something I didn't wholly understand.' I was... meant to 1... 1... lose.' 'Who meant you to? The prosecution? Of course. And Justice Prestcold? Undoubtedly, Fate. Destiny. The Spirit of the Universe? Not as it turned out. It was written in the stars. "Not Guilty of Murder. And is that the verdict of you all? ".' ' That's why they ch... chose you. I was meant to lose.' What the man said puzzled me. I admit it I found enigmatic. I said,'I don't follow.' ' Bloke in the cell while I was w... w... waiting. Used to be a mate of Bernie "Four-Eyes". He told me why me brothers chose you to defend me.' Well I thought I knew why I had been chosen for this important case. I stood up and paced the room.

'No doubt I have a certain reputation around the Temple, although my crown may be a little tarnished; done rather too much indecent assault lately.' ' He heard them round the P... P... Paradise Rooms. Talking about this old feller Rumpole.' Peter seemed to be pursuing another line of thought.

'The "Penge Bungalow Murder" is in Notable British Trials. I may have become a bit of a household name, at least in criminal circles.' 'They was 1... looking for a barrister who'd be sure to lose.' 'After this, I suppose, I may get back to better quality crime." The full force of what Peter had said struck me. I looked at him and checked carefully.' What did you say?' ' They wanted me defended by someone they could c... count on for a guilty verdict. That's why they p... p... picked you for it.' It was, appallingly, what I thought he'd said.

'They wanted to fit me up with doing Tosher,' Peter Delgardo went on remorsetessly.

'Let me get this clear. Your brothers selected me to nobble your defence?' 'That's it! You w... was to be the jockey Eke.' That pulled me back.

'How did they light on me exactly? Me ... Rumpole of the Bailey?' My entire life, Sherlock Holmes stories, Law degree, knockabout apprenticeship at Bow Street and Hackney, days of triumph in murder and forgery, down to that day's swayed jury and notable victory, seemed to be blown away like autumn leaves by what he said. Then, the words came quickly now, tumbling out of him, 'They heard of an old bloke. Got p... past it. Down to little bits of cases ... round the M ... M ... Magistrates Courts. Bit of a muddler, they heard. With a funny old broken-down hat on him.' ' The hat! Again.' At least I had bought a bowler.

' So they r ... reckoned. You was just the bloke to lose this murder, like.' 'And dear old Nooks. "Shady" Nooks. Did he help them to choose me?' I suspected it.

'Id... don't know. I'm n... n... not saying he didn't.' ' So that's my reputation!' I tried to take stock of the situation, and failed abysmally.

'I shouldn't've told you.' He sounded genuinely apologetic.

'Get Rumpole for the defence, and be sure of a conviction.' 'Perhaps it's all lies.' Was he trying to cheer me up? He went on. ' You hear lots of s ... s ... stories. In the cells under the Bailey.' 'And in the Bar Mess too. They rubbish your reputation. Small cigar?' I found a packet and offered him one.

'All right.' We lit up. After all, one had to think of the future.

' So where does this leave you, Peter ?' I asked him.

'I'd say, Mr Rumpole, none too s ... safe. What about you?' I blew out smoke, wondering exactly what I had left.

' Perhaps not all that safe either.' I had brought my old dinner jacket up to Chambers and I changed into it there. I had a bottle of rum in the cupboard, and I gave myself a strong drink out of a dusty glass. As I shut the cupboard door, I noticed my old hat, it was on a shelf, gathering dust and seemed to have about it a look of mild reproach. I put it on, and noticed how comfortably it fitted. I dropped the new, hard bowler into the wastepaper basket and went on to the Savoy.

'You look charming, my dear.' Hilda, resplendent in a long dress, her shoulders dusted with powder, smiled delightedly at Mrs Marigold Featherstone, who was nibbling delicately at an after-dinner mint.

'Really, Rumpole.' Hilda looked at me, gently rebuking.

"She!"

'She?' Marigold was mystified, but anxious to join in any joke that might be going.

'Oh "She",' I said casually. 'A woman of fabulous beauty. Written up by H. Rider Haggard.' A waiter passed and I created a diversion by calling his attention to the fact that the tide had gone out in my glass. Around us prominent members of the legal profession pushed their bulky wives about the parquet like a number of fresh-faced gardeners executing elaborate manoeuvres with wheelbarrows. There were some young persons among them, and I noticed Erskine-Brown, jigging about in solitary rapture somewhere in the vicinity of Miss Phyllida Trant. She saw me and gave a quick smile and then she was off circling Erskine-Brown like an obedient planet, which I didn't consider a fitting occupation for any girl of Miss Trant's undoubted abilities.

'Your husband's had a good win.' Guthrie Featherstone was charting to Hilda.

' He hasn't had a "good win ", Guthrie.' She put the man right. ' He's had a triumph!' 'Entirely thanks ... to my old hat." I raised my glass. 'Here's to it!' 'What?' Little of what Rumpole said made much sense to Marigold.

'My triumph, indeed, my great opportunity, is to be attributed solely to my hat!' I explained to her, but She couldn't agree.

'Nonsense!"

'What?' 'You're talking nonsense,' She explained to our hosts. 'He does, you know, from time to time. Rumpole won because he knows so much about blood.' 'Really?' Featherstone looked at the dancers, no doubt wondering how soon he could steer his beautiful wife off into the throng. But Hilda fixed him with her glittering eye, and went on, much like the ancient mariner.

'You remember Daddy, of course. He used to be your Head of Chambers. Daddy told me. "Rumpole", Daddy told me. In fact, he told me that on the occasion of the Inns of Court summer ball, which is practically the last dance we went to.' ' Hilda!' I tried, unsuccessfully, to stem the flow.

'No. I'm going to say this, Horace. Don't interrupt! "Horace Rumpole", Daddy told me, "knows more about bloodstains than anyone we've got in Chambers."' I noticed that Marigold had gone a little pale.

'Do stop it, Hilda. You're putting Marigold off.' 'Don't you find it,' Marigold turned to me, 'well, sordid sometimes?' 'What?' ' Crime. Don't you find it terribly sordid?' There was a silence. The music had stopped, and the legal fraternity on the floor clapped sporadically. I saw Erskine-Brown take Miss Tram's hand.

' Oh, do be careful, Marigold!' I said.' Don't knock it.' 'I think it must be sordid.' Marigold patted her lips with her table napkin, removing the last possible trace of after-dinner mint.

'Abolish crime,' I warned her, 'and you abolish the very basis of our existence!' 'Oh, come now, Horace!' Featherstone was smiling at me tolerantly.

'He's right,' Hilda told him. 'Rumpole knows about bloodstains.' 'Abolish crime and we should all vanish.' I felt a rush of words to the head. 'All the barristers and solicitors and dock officers and the dear old matron down the Old Bailey who gives aspirins away with sentences of life imprisonment. There'd be no judges, no Lord Chancellor. The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police would have to go out selling encyclopaedias.' I leant back, grabbed the wine from the bucket, and started to refill all our glasses. 'Why are we here? Why've we got prawn cocktail and duck & I'orange and selections from dear old Oklahoma} All because a few villains down the East End are kind enough to keep us in a regular supply of crime.' A slightly hurt waiter took the bottle from me and continued my work.

' Don't you help them ?' Marigold looked at me, doubtfully.

'Don't I what?' 'Help them. Doing all these crimes. After all. You get them off.' 'Today,' I said, not without a certain pride. 'Today, let me tell you, Marigold, I was no help to them at all. I showed them ...no gratitude!' 'You got him off!' 'What?' ' You got Peter Delgardo off.' 'Just for one reason."

'What was that?' ' He happened to be innocent.' 'Come on, Horace. How can you be sure of that?' Feather-stone was smiling tolerantly but I leant forward and gave him the truth of the matter.

'You know, it's a terrifying thing, my learned friend. We go through all that mumbo jumbo. We put on our wigs and gowns and mutter the ritual prayers. "My Lord, I humbly submit." "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, you have listened with admirable patience ..." Abracadabra. Fee Fo Fi Bloody Fum. And just when everyone thinks you're going to produce the most ludicrously faked bit of cheese-cloth ectoplasm, or a phoney rap on the table, it comes. Clear as a bell. Quite unexpected. The voice of truth!' I was vaguely aware of a worried figure in a dinner jacket coming towards us across the floor.

'Have you ever found that, Featherstone? Bloody scaring sometimes. All the trouble we take to cloud the issues and divert the attention. Suddenly we've done it. There it is! Naked and embarrassing. The truth!' I looked up as the figure joined us. It was my late instructing solicitor.

' Nooks. "Shady " Nooks!' I greeted him, but he seemed in no mood to notice me. He pulled up a chair and sat down beside Featherstone.

'Apparently it was on the nine o'clock news. They've just arrested Leslie Delgardo. Charged him with the murder of Tosher MacBride. I'll want a con with you in the morning.' I was left out of this conversation, but I didn't mind. Music started again, playing a tune which I found vaguely familiar. Nooks was muttering on; it seemed that the police now knew Tosher worked for Leslie, and that some member of the rival Watson family may have spotted him at the scene of the crime. An extraordinary sensation overcame me, something I hadn't felt for a long time, which could only be described as happiness.

'I don't know whether you'll want to brief me for Leslie, Nooks,' I raised a glass to old 'Shady'. 'Or would that be rather over-egging the pudding?' And then an even more extraordinary sensation, a totally irrational impulse for which I can find no logical explanation, overcame me. I put out a hand and touched She Who Must Be Obeyed on the powdered shoulder.

'Hilda.' 'Oh yes, Rumpole?' It seemed I was interrupting some confidential chat with Marigold.' What do you want now?' 'I honestly think.' I could find no coherent explanation. 'I think I want to dance with you.' I suppose it was a waltz. As I steered Hilda out onto the great open spaces it seemed quite easy to go round and round, vaguely in time to the music. I heard a strange sound, as if from a long way off.

'I'll have the last waltz with you, Two sleepy people together ...' Or words to that effect. I was in fact singing. Singing and dancing to celebrate a great victory in a case I was never meant to win.