'He is mad, papa, and does not know what
he does. Do you mean to say that a madman may do as he pleases? that he
may rob my child from me in the streets? that he may take him out of my
very arms in that way?' And she was almost angry with her father because
no attempt was made that night to recover the boy.
Sir Marmaduke, who was not himself a good lawyer, had been closeted
with the policeman for a quarter of an hour, and had learned the
policeman's views. Of course, the father of the child was the person
who had done the deed. Whether the cabman had been in the plot or not,
was not matter of much consequence. There could be no doubt that some
one had told the man to go to Parker's Hotel, as the cab was starting;
and it would probably be impossible to punish him in the teeth of such
instructions. Sir Marmaduke, however, could doubtless have the cabman
summoned. And as for the absolute abduction of the child, the policeman
was of opinion that a father could not be punished for obtaining
possession of his son by such a stratagem, unless the custody of the
child had been made over to the mother by some court of law.
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