Don Gutteridge - Minor Corruption

“And LaFontaine’s been able to line his owntroops up and keep them there?” Dr. Baldwin asked.

“He has, father,” Robert said. “I just got aletter from him yesterday afternoon, in which he assures us thatmatters are progressing satisfactorily. Of course, as we expected,the Act of Union contained an entailment that permitted a fairamount of gerrymandering in favour of the so-called English ridingsin Quebec. For example, the two Montreal ridings, predominantlyEnglish and Tory, have been made double constituencies for goodmeasure. And Louis complains that his French opponents are pushingto have him defeated in Terrebonne, where he will be contesting aseat. But he has fully convinced his supporters that Baldwin andHincks do not have horns or cloven feet.”

“The man commands respect just by beingpresent in a room,” Marc added.

Hincks cleared his throat. “I don’t see anyway around it, Robert. You must attend the London confab on thesixteenth and, I hesitate to say so, but you must somehow find thetime and energy to visit beforehand with as many delegates as youcan. Show them our correspondence. Get to them before they arrivein London and have their minds made up for them.”

“You’re thinking of places as far afield asPort Sarnia, Sandwich and Goderich?” said Robert Sullivan, thesuave Irish-looking gentleman with the velvet tongue, who had,while no rabid Reformer, served them all well in presiding over theLegislative Council and steering the Union Bill over the politicalshoals last Fall.

“He is,” Robert sighed. “But there is so muchto do here, in Toronto and in these chambers.”

“And it has to be you, cousin andbrother-in-law,” Sullivan said. “The Baldwin name is magic in thisprovince.” He glanced slyly at Dr. Baldwin and added, “That’s why Ichose it for a middle name.”

“How many cases do you have at the upcomingassizes?” Hincks asked him.

“We have five,” Sullivan said. “All minor,wouldn’t you say, Marc?”

Marc, who had offered to help with two ofthem – a forgery and an embezzlement charge – replied, “So far,yes. Nothing that Bob and I cannot handle in your absence.”

“And I would be happy to take up the forensiccudgel once again, if need be,” Dr. Baldwin said. He had had adistinguished career as a barrister and a Bencher of the LawSociety before medicine and then architecture and business hadtaken hold of his many-faceted curiosity. “I don’t fancy standingup and preaching before a periwigged justice any more, but I couldhelp with research and preparation.”

“And I understand you now have your uncle toassist Clement in the profit-making half of these chambers,” Hinckssaid with a wink at Robert.

Though meant as an ironic sally, Hincks’sremark came closer to the truth than he had anticipated. He wasquite aware of the foibles and follies of Uncle Seamus, having beento several picnics and soirées out at Spadina since the oldgentleman’s arrival last July. But after an initial spree of pranksyesterday morning, Uncle Seamus surprisingly had settled down to beof material assistance. Indeed, by the end of the day both he andhis nephew were in good spirits. Robert had confided to Marc thatfor the first time he held out real hope that his uncle would beable to work his way out of what was evidently a form of manicdepression, wherein he swung between moods of deep depression andexhilarating episodes that almost always involved the children orthe young servants. Only when he went trout fishing did he seem tofind a becalmed, median place where his spirit could rest andbreathe. Even though the imminent freeze-up would end all troutfishing, the kind if crusty presence of Clement Peachey and theroutine tasks they shared throughout the day seemed ready toprovide a reasonable substitute. To balance this there were theBaldwin children next door and weekends away at lively Spadina.“I’ll keep a close watch,” Marc had reassured him, and then added,“on the macaroons.”

“Well, then, gentlemen,” Robert now said tohis associates, “I take it I have been volunteered to reconnoitrethe hinterland. What do you say we get right down to practicaldetails. I’ve got a list here of the men I ought to be beardingbefore the London meetings. I need from you specific suggestionsfor dealing with each one. What about Ferguson in Port Sarnia?”

The pause that followed Robert’s request wasended not by sage political advice but rather by the door openinghalfway and Clement Peachey poking his head in warily.

“Sorry to interrupt, gentlemen, but ConstableCobb is in the vestibule. He wants to see you, Robert, rightaway.”

“But we’re – ”

“He says he’s come with bad news. Very badnews.”

***

The news of Betsy Thurgood’s death at the hands ofan abortionist cast an immediate pall on Baldwin House. Dr. Baldwinwas saddened and outraged. Betsy had been coming to Spadina off andon since she was twelve, helping out on special occasions and soonbecoming a favourite of the family and of the cook, Mrs. Morriseyand her husband Herb, the gardener. Then late last July, just aftershe had turned fifteen, she had asked Dr. Baldwin for a permanentposition, and had been obliged. Now she was dead, two months intoher sixteenth year. Robert was shocked and similarly outraged. Hesent a note to the coroner to have the girl’s death investigatedimmediately. He suggested to Cobb that the police locate ElsieTrigger and keep her in custody on some pretence until the inquestcould be held. While Robert and his father would like to have seenher charged with manslaughter, they knew that the “accidents” ofmidwifery were notoriously ambiguous. But they would see her inprison on some charge, there was no doubt about that.Meantime, the plans for Robert’s trip were superseded for the timebeing, despite the risks.

It was the effect of Betsy’s death on UncleSeamus, however, that assumed primary importance in Baldwin House.The old fellow collapsed in Robert’s arms and had to be revivedwith smelling salts. When he was told, tactfully, about the causeof her death, he broke into an uncontrollable weeping, punctuatedwith great wrenching sobs. The Baldwins knew that Uncle Seamus wasfond of all their children and the two young servants, but, ifasked to comment, would have named Edie Barr as his personalfavourite. For it was Edie who regularly played the dummy for UncleSeamus’s ventriloquist act and Edie who seemed most flattered byhis teasing and tickling. Betsy was a shy girl, and although it wasclear that she admired Uncle Seamus, she did not naturally take tohis boisterous sense of fun. Obviously the Baldwins had been wrong.Such an unmanly display of grief was proof positive that UncleSeamus had had a deep and abiding affection for the youngster. Hehad to be half-carried from Clement’s office to the domestic sideof Baldwin House, where he was put into the care of Diana Ramsay.Dr. Smollett was sent for.

“I’ll have to stay for the funeral,” Robertsaid to Marc as the latter was preparing to leave. “And theinquest, if it’s held soon. My father has already sent the girl’spay for this month and an additional ten pounds to help the familywith funeral expenses.”

“We’ll squeeze in another strategy meetingbefore you go,” Marc said helpfully.

“It’s my uncle I’m most concerned about. Thisdreadful business could throw him into another depression.”

“Let your father and I deal with that, atleast in the short term. The future of the province and our battlefor responsible government depends on our efforts in the next twoor three months.”

“Don’t remind me,” Robert said. “On secondthought, keep reminding me. We’ve come too far to be sidetrackednow, haven’t we?”

“I promise you, Robert, your cousin and Iwill hold the fort here, and I’ll help your father and mother dealwith Uncle Seamus. I’ll ask Beth to help. You know how good she iswith people.”