No
eloquence then could rival the effect of the witness's slow, bare
recital of his progress. Yet without counsel's prologue what could be
more dull than the naming of street numbers and dates?
The matter of the testimony may be interesting, but unless the witness
has a rare gift of expression and a sense of the picturesque, the way
in which it will be given may be dull and plain. But at this point the
little keen-faced lawyer for the other side jumps up and interrupts:
"I object, your Honor; what difference does it make where he lived in
1890, whether on Fifth Avenue or Mulberry Bend? What we want to know
is what he is suing for now." And the court will probably rule with
him and keep the plaintiff down to more relevant facts.
Some of the important answers may be yes or no. Counsel in such a case
supplies the color and gives an appearance of life to what is actually
alive enough, but which alone would seem dry. Even if so famous a
character of fiction as "Becky Sharp" came into court and only looked
her part with what intense interest would we not hang on her
testimony, though it consisted of no more than "Yes, I did"; "I never
saw him before." We should be fascinated by this bald statement
because Thackeray had interested us so enormously in the lady.
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