or no friends we
must have law, and whether for sixpence or a shilling it ought to be
readily attainable: that no one would be satisfied with having no other
authority than that of friendship to settle our disputes; and besides
that, friends themselves sometimes fell out and were generally the most
hard to reconcile without an appeal to our tribunals.

"Well, it does seem a pity," said she, "that judges cannot sit as they
did in Moses' time at all seasons so as to decide expeditiously and
promptly between the claims of parties."

"Why so they do sit 'continuously,'" quoth I, "but the whole difficulty
consists in getting at them. What is called procedure is so circuitous
and perplexing, that long before you get to your journey's end you may
faint by the way."

"Is there no one with good sense who will take this matter up and help
this poor man to come by his rights. It must be very expensive for him
to be kept away from his business so long, and his poor wife left all
alone to manage the farm."

"Why, so it is, but then going to law, which means seeking to maintain
your rights, is a very expensive thing: a luxury fit only for rich men."

"Why then do people in moderate circumstances indulge in it?"

"Because they are obliged to defend themselves against oppressive and
unjust demands; although I think, under the present system, if a man had
a small estate, say a few acres, and a rich man laid claim to it, it
would be far better for the small man to give up the land without any
bother."

"But no man of spirit would do that?"

"No, that is exactly where it is, it's the spirit of resistance that
comes in."

"Resistance! a man would be a coward to yield without a fight."

"Why so he would, and that is what makes law such a beautiful science,
and its administration so costly. Men will fight to the last rather than
give in. If Naboth had lived in these times there would have been no
need of his death in order to oust him from his vineyard. Ahab could
have done a much more sensible thing and walked in by process of law."

"In what way?"

"In the first place he could have laid claim to a right of way, or
easement as it is called, of some sort: or could have alleged that Naboth
had encroached on his land by means of a fence or drain or ditch."

"Well, but if he hadn't?"

"If he hadn't, so much the better for the Plaintiff, and so much the
worse for Naboth."

"I don't understand; if Naboth had done no wrong