Without any
assignable cause, McDonough ceased to employ Grymes, and intrusted his
business to other counsel, who did not value their services so
extravagantly. Mentioning the fact upon one occasion to Grymes, "Ah!
yes," said he, "I can explain to your satisfaction the cause. In a
certain case of his, in which he had law and justice with him, he
suddenly became very uneasy. 'I shall certainly lose it, Grymes,' he
said excitedly to me. I told him it was impossible; he had never had
so sure a thing since I had been his attorney. In his dogmatical
manner, which you know, he still persisted in saying, he was no great
lawyer as I was, but some things he knew better than any lawyer, and
'I shall lose that case.' At the same time he significantly touched
his pocket and then his palm, signifying that money had been paid by
his adversary to the court, or some member of it. 'Ah!' said I, 'are
you sure--very sure?' 'Very sure--I know it; and you will see I shall
lose this suit.' He was not wont to speak so positively, without the
best evidence of any fact. 'Well, Mac,' said I, jestingly, 'if that is
the game, who can play it better than you can--you have a larger stake
than any of them, and of course better ability?' Well, sir, he did
lose one of the plainest cases I ever presented to a court.
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