IfthemachineryoftheLawcouldbedependedontofathomeverycaseofsuspicion,andtoconducteveryprocessofinquiry,withmoderateassistanceonlyfromthelubricatinginfluencesofoilofgold,theeventswhichfillthesepagesmighthaveclaimedtheirshareofthepublicattentioninaCourtofJustice.
ButtheLawisstill,incertaininevitablecases,thepre-engagedservantofthelongpurse;andthestoryislefttobetold,forthefirsttime,inthisplace.
Whenthewriteroftheseintroductorylines(WalterHartrightbyname)happenstobemorecloselyconnectedthanotherswiththeincidentstoberecorded,hewilldescribetheminhisownperson.
Whenhisexperiencefails,hewillretirefromthepositionofnarrator;andhistaskwillbecontinued,fromthepointatwhichhehasleftitoff,byotherpersonswhocanspeaktothecircumstancesundernoticefromtheirownknowledge,justasclearlyandpositivelyashehasspokenbeforethem.
Thus,thestoryherepresentedwillbetoldbymorethanonepen,asthestoryofanoffenceagainstthelawsistoldinCourtbymorethanonewitness—withthesameobject,inbothcases,topresentthetruthalwaysinitsmostdirectandmostintelligibleaspect;andtotracethecourseofonecompleteseriesofevents,bymakingthepersonswhohavebeenmostcloselyconnectedwiththem,ateachsuccessivestage,relatetheirownexperience,wordforword.
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