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Trends in Mathematics
Shahla Molahajloo
M. W. Wong
Editors
Analysis
of Pseudo-
Differential
Operators
Trends in Mathematics
Trends in Mathematics is a series devoted to the publication of volumes arising from
conferences and lecture series focusing on a particular topic from any area of
mathematics. Its aim is to make current developments available to the community as
rapidly as possible without compromise to quality and to archive these for reference.
Proposals for volumes can be submitted using the Online Book Project Submission
Form at our website www.birkhauser-science.com.
All contributions should undergo a reviewing process similar to that carried out by
journals and be checked for correct use of language which, as a rule, is English.
Articles without proofs, or which do not contain any significantly new results,
should be rejected. High quality survey papers, however, are welcome.
Analysis
of Pseudo-Differential
Operators
Editors
Shahla Molahajloo M. W. Wong
Department of Mathematics Department of Mathematics and Statistics
Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic York University
Sciences Toronto, ON, Canada
Zanjan, Iran
This book is published under the imprint Birkhäuser, www.birkhauser-science.com by the registered
company Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland
Preface
Since the 2003 ISAAC Congress at York University, it has become a tradition that a
volume based on the special session on pseudo-differential operators be published.
It is not only intended to document the event, but also to provide guidance for future
research on pseudo-differential operators and related topics.
The 11th ISAAC Congress was held at Linnæus University in Sweden on August
14–18, 2018. This volume, as a sequel to its predecessors, is based on talks given at
the congress and invited articles by experts in the field.
There are ten chapters in this volume, titled “Analysis of Pseudo-Differential
Operators.” The first four chapters address the functional analysis of pseudo-
differential operators in a broad range of settings, from Z to Rn , to compact and
Hausdorff groups. Chapters 5 and 6 focus on operators on Lie groups and manifolds
with edge. The next two chapters discuss topics in probability, while the last two
chapters cover topics in differential equations.
It is hoped that these volumes on pseudo-differential operators published by
Birkhäuser in Basel over a span of fifteen years have served and will continue
to serve as useful reference guides for young mathematicians aspiring to explore
new directions in pseudo-differential operators. It is also our firm belief that these
volumes on pseudo-differential operators will continue to grow and develop in
unforeseen directions, thanks to the input of new generations of mathematicians.
v
Contents
Abstract We first introduce the discrete Fourier–Wigner transform and the discrete
Wigner transform acting on functions in L2 (Z). We prove that properties of the
standard Wigner transform of functions in L2 (Rn ) such as the Moyal identity, the
inversion formula, time-frequency marginal conditions, and the resolution formula
hold for the Wigner transforms of functions in L2 (Z). Using the discrete Wigner
transform, we define the discrete Weyl transform corresponding to a suitable symbol
on Z × S1 . We give a necessary and sufficient condition for the self-adjointness of
the discrete Weyl transform. Moreover, we give a necessary and sufficient condition
for a discrete Weyl transform to be a Hilbert–Schmidt operator. Then we show how
we can reconstruct the symbol from its corresponding Weyl transform. We prove
that the product of two Weyl transforms is again a Weyl transform and an explicit
formula for the symbol of the product of two Weyl transforms is given. This result
gives a necessary and sufficient condition for the Weyl transform to be in the trace
class.
This research has been supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
of Canada under Discovery Grant 0008562.
S. Molahajloo
Department of Mathematics, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
M. W. Wong ()
Department of Mathematics and Statistics, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
e-mail: mwwong@mathstat.yorku.ca
1 Introduction
To put this paper in perspective, we first recall the Wigner transform and the Weyl
transform mapping functions in L2 (Rn ) into functions on, respectively, Rn × Rn
and Rn .
Let σ ∈ L2 (Rn × Rn ). Then the Weyl transform Wσ : L2 (Rn ) → L2 (Rn )
corresponding to the symbol σ is defined by
(Wσ f, g)L2 (Rn ) = (2π)−n/2 σ (x, ξ )W (f, g)(x, ξ ) dx dξ
Rn Rn
for all f and g in L2 (Rn ), where W (f, g) is the Wigner transform of f and g
defined by
p p
W (f, g)(x, ξ ) = (2π)−n/2 e−iξ ·p f x + g x− dp, x, ξ ∈ Rn .
Rn 2 2
p
F Lp (Z) = |F (n)|p < ∞
n∈Z
Discrete Analogs of Wigner Transforms and Weyl Transforms 3
FZ = FS−1 ∗
1 = FS1
and
Let F ∈ L2 (Z). Then for all (n, θ ) ∈ Z × S1 , we define ρ(n, θ )F to be the function
on Z by
n
ei(k+ 2 )θ F (k + n), n ∈ Ze ,
(ρ(n, θ )F ) (k) = n−1
ei(k+ 2 )θ F (k + n), n ∈ Zo ,
for all k ∈ Z. Note that for all (n, θ ) ∈ Z × S1 , ρ(n, θ ) : L2 (Z) → L2 (Z) is a
unitary operator and
ρ(n, θ )∗ = ρ(−n, −θ ).
i(k+ n2 )θ
k∈Z e F (k + n)G(k), n ∈ Ze ,
V (F, G)(n, θ ) = n−1
k∈Z e
i(k+ 2 )θ F (k + n)G(k), n ∈ Zo .
Discrete Analogs of Wigner Transforms and Weyl Transforms 5
m = k + n2 , n ∈ Ze ,
m = k + n−12 , n ∈ Zo ,
we get
imθ F (m + n )G(m − n ),
m∈Z e 2 2 n ∈ Ze ,
V (F, G)(n, θ ) =
e imθ F (m + n+1 )G(m − n−1 ), n ∈ Zo .
m∈Z 2 2
In fact, if we let
F (m + n2 )G(m − n2 ), n ∈ Ze ,
Hn (m) =
F (m + n ∈ Zo .
2 )G(m − 2 ),
n+1 n−1
Then
We have the following Moyal identity for the discrete Fourier–Wigner transform.
Theorem 2.1 Let F1 , F2 , G1 , and G2 be functions in L2 (Z). Then
V (F1 , G1 ), V (F2 , G2 ) L2 (Z×S1 )
= F1 , F2 L2 (Z) G1 , G2 L2 (Z) .
Fj (m + n2 )Gj (m − n2 ), n ∈ Ze ,
Hj,n (m) =
Fj (m + n+1
2 )Gj (m − n−1
2 ), n ∈ Zo .
Therefore
(V (F1 , G1 ), V (F2 , G2 ))L2 (Z×S1 ) = H1,n (m)H2,n (m).
n∈Z m∈Z
6 S. Molahajloo and M. W. Wong
Let F and G be functions in L2 (Z). Then we define the Wigner transform
W (F, G) of F and G to be the function on S1 × Z by
W (F, G)(φ, m)
n n
= einφ F m + G m−
2 2
n∈Ze
n+1 n−1
+ einφ F m + G m− . (2.2)
2 2
n∈Zo
Proof We begin with the definition of the discrete Wigner transform to the effect
that
W (F, G)(θ, m)
= (FZ×S1 V (F, G))(θ, m)
π
1
= e−imφ+inθ V (F, G)(n, φ) dφ.
2π −π
n∈Z
Discrete Analogs of Wigner Transforms and Weyl Transforms 7
We carry out the sum over n ∈ Z by first performing the sum over n ∈ Ze and then
over n ∈ Zo . Summing over all even integers gives
⎛ ⎞
π
1 ⎝ n n ⎠ dφ
e−imφ+inθ eikφ F k + G k−
2π −π 2 2
n∈Ze k∈Z
1 π n n
= einθ e−i(m−k)φ dφ F k + G k−
2π −π 2 2
n∈Ze k∈Z
n n
= einθ F m + G m−
2 2
n∈Ze
W (F, G) = W (G, F ).
W (F, G)(φ, m)
n n
= e−inφ G m − F m+
2 2
n∈Ze
n−1 n+1
+ e−inφ G m − F m+ .
2 2
n∈Zo
If we change the index of summation from n to k by n = −k, then for all (φ, m) ∈
S1 × Z,
W (F, G)(φ, m)
k k
= eikφ G m + F m−
2 2
k∈Ze
8 S. Molahajloo and M. W. Wong
k+1 k−1
+ eikφ G m + F m−
2 2
k∈Zo
Proof By (2.1) and the definition of the Wigner transform, for all m and n in Z, we
have
Proof Let n = 0 in (2.3). Then we get part (i). To prove part (ii), we have for all
φ ∈ [−π, π],
W (F )(φ, m)
m∈Z
= (FZ (W (F )(φ, ·)))(0)
n n
= einφ F m + F m−
2 2
m∈Z n∈Ze
n+1 n−1
+ einφ F m + F m− .
2 2
m∈Z n∈Zo
m = k1 +l
2 ,
1
(2.4)
n = k1 − l1 ,
and for all n ∈ Zo , using the change of variables from (m, n) to (k2 , l2 ) given by
k2 = m + n+1 2 and l2 = m − 2 , we get
n−1
m = k2 +l22 −1 ,
(2.5)
n = k2 − l2 .
Therefore we get
W (F )(φ, m) dφ
m∈Z
= ei(k1 −l1 )φ F (k1 )F (l1 ) + ei(k2 −l2 )φ F (k2 )F (l2 )
k1 ∈Z l1 ∈Z k2 ∈Z l2 ∈Z
k1 +l1 ∈Ze k2 +l2 ∈Zo
= ei(k−l)φ F (k)F (l)
k∈Z l∈Z
= | (FZ F ) (φ)|2
F (m + n2 , m − n2 ), n ∈ Ze ,
(T F )(n, m) =
F (m + 2 , m − 2 ),
n+1 n−1
n ∈ Zo ,
10 S. Molahajloo and M. W. Wong
F (n − m, m+n
2 ), n + m ∈ Ze ,
(T −1 F )(n, m) =
F (n − m, m+n−1
2 ), n + m ∈ Zo .
Then
We can now give a result on the Wigner transform of the product of two functions
on Z.
Proposition 2.8 Let F and G be functions in L2 (Z). Then for all (φ, m) in S1 × Z,
W (F G)(φ, m) = W (F )(·, m) ∗ W (G)(·, m) (φ),
1 π n1 n1
= ein1 (φ−θ) F m + F m−
2π −π 2 2
n1 ∈Ze
n1 + 1 n1 − 1
+ ein1 (φ−θ) F m + F m− ×
2 2
n1 ∈Zo
n2 n2
ein2 θ G m + G m−
2 2
n2 ∈Ze
n2 + 1 n2 − 1
+ ein2 θ G m + G m− dθ.
2 2
n2 ∈Zo
Since
π
0, n1 = n2 ,
e−iθ(n1 −n2 ) dθ =
−π 2π, n1 = n2 ,
it follows that
n−1 n−1
F m− G m−
2 2
= W (F G)(φ, m)
Let σ ∈ L2 (Z×S1 ). Then for all functions F in L2 (Z), we define the Weyl transform
Wσ F corresponding to the symbol σ by
1 π
(Wσ F, G)L2 (Z) = σ (m, φ)W (F, G)(φ, m) dφ
2π −π
m∈Z
12 S. Molahajloo and M. W. Wong
1 π n+1 n−1
+ σ (m, φ)einφ F m + G m− dφ.
2π 2 2
m∈Z −π n∈Zo
we obtain
Therefore
F σ ( m+l 2 , l − m), m + l ∈ Ze ,
kσ (l, m) = 2,S1 m+l−1 (3.1)
F2,S1 σ ( 2 , l − m), m + l ∈ Zo .
where F2,S1 σ is the Fourier transform on S1 of σ with respect to the second variable.
The following theorem is an inversion formula for discrete Weyl transforms. It
shows how we can reconstruct the symbol from the corresponding Weyl transform.
For Weyl transforms on Rn , the corresponding formula and other related formulas
can be found in [2, 3, 6].
Theorem 3.1 Let σ ∈ L2 (Z × S1 ) be such that ρ(n, θ )Wσ is a trace class operator
for all (n, θ ) ∈ Z × S1 . Then for all (θ, n) ∈ S1 × Z, we have
where
n
k θ (l, m) = ei(l+ 2 )θ kσ (l + n, m).
Hence
tr(ρ(n, θ )Wσ )
= k θ (l, l)
l∈Z
14 S. Molahajloo and M. W. Wong
n
= ei(l+ 2 )θ kσ (l + n, l)
l∈Z
1 i(l+ n )θ π −inφ n
= e 2 e σ l + , φ dφ.
2π −π 2
l∈Z
where ·∗ is the norm in the C ∗ -algebra of all bounded linear operators on L2 (Z).
Moreover, Wσ is a Hilbert–Schmidt operator on L2 (Z) and
Let F and G be functions in L2 (Z). Then by Schwarz’s inequality and the Moyal
identity for the Wigner transform, we have
Hence
Therefore
By (3.1),
Wσ 2H S(L2 (Z)) = |kσ (m, l)|2
m∈Z l∈Z
2
= F 1σ m + l , l − m
2,S 2
m∈Z l∈Z
m+l∈Ze
2
+ F 1σ m + l − 1, l − m .
1,S 2
m∈Z l∈Z
m+l∈Zo
= σ 2L2 (Z×S1 ) .
A Hilbert–Schmidt operator on A : L2 (Z) → L2 (Z) is of the form
(AF )(n) = h(n, m)F (m), F ∈ L2 (Z),
m∈Z
where h is a function in L2 (Z×Z). The function h is called the kernel of the Hilbert–
Schmidt operator A on L2 (Z). The following theorem states that every Hilbert–
Schmidt operator on L2 (Z) is a Weyl transform with symbol in L2 (Z × S1 ).
Theorem 4.2 Let A : L2 (Z) → L2 (Z) be a Hilbert–Schmidt operator. Then there
exists a unique symbol σ in L2 (Z × S1 ) such that A = Wσ .
16 S. Molahajloo and M. W. Wong
= (F ⊗ G, h̃)L2 (Z×Z) ,
By Proposition 2.4,
So,
Hence
π
1
(Wσ F ) (m) =
σ (θ, n) (ρ(n, θ )F ) (m) dθ, m ∈ Z.
2π −π n∈Z
Lemma 5.3 For all (n, θ ) and (k, φ) in Z × S1 , we have
where
⎧n
2 φ − 2θ, n ∈ Ze , k ∈ Ze ,
k
⎪
⎪
⎪
⎨ n−1 φ − k+1 θ , n ∈ Z ,
o k ∈ Zo ,
[(n, θ ); (k, φ)] = n 2 2
⎪
⎪ 2 φ − 2 θ,
k−1
n ∈ Ze , k ∈ Zo ,
⎪
⎩ n+1
2 φ − k
2 θ , n ∈ Zo , k ∈ Ze .
(F G) (γ , l)
π
1
= ei[(l−k,γ −φ);(k,φ)]F (γ − φ, l − k)G(φ, k) dφ, (γ , l) ∈ S1 × Z.
2π −π
k∈Z
Wσ Wτ = Wω ,
where
ω̂ = σ̂ τ̂ .
(Wσ Wτ F ) (m)
π
1
=
σ (θ, n) (ρ(n, θ )Wτ F ) (m) dθ
2π −π
n∈Z
π π
1
=
σ (θ, n)
τ (φ, k) (ρ(n, θ )ρ(k, φ)F ) (m) dφ dθ.
(2π)2 −π −π
n∈Z k∈Z
Discrete Analogs of Wigner Transforms and Weyl Transforms 19
(Wσ Wτ F ) (m)
π π
1
= τ (φ, k)ei[(n,θ);(k,φ)] ×
σ (θ, n)
(2π)2 −π n∈Z −π k∈Z
(Wσ Wτ F ) (m)
π π
1
= τ (φ, k) ei[(l−k,γ −φ);(k,φ)] ×
σ (γ − φ, l − k)
(2π)2 −π −π
l∈Z k∈Z
(ρ(l, γ )F ) (m) dφ dγ .
ω̂ = σ̂ τ̂ .
Then
π
1
(Wσ Wτ F ) (m) = ω̂(γ , l) (ρ(l, γ )F ) (m) dγ = (Wω F ) (m)
2π −π l∈Z
for all m ∈ Z.
As an application of the product formula, we give a characterization of trace
class discrete Weyl transforms. It is an analog for the discrete Weyl transform of
the characterization of trace class Weyl transforms on Rn in [14]. Let W be the set
defined by
W = FS1 ×Z (σ̂ τ̂ ) : σ, τ ∈ L2 (Z × S1 ) .
Let S1 (L2 (Z)) be the space of all trace class operators on L2 (Z). The following
theorem gives a characterization of trace class discrete Weyl transforms on L2 (Z).
Theorem 5.5 Let σ ∈ L2 (Z × S1 ). Then Wσ : L2 (Z) → L2 (Z) is in S1 (L2 (Z)) if
and only if σ ∈ W . Moreover, if σ = FS1 ×Z (α̂ β̂) with α and β in L2 (Z × S1 ),
then
Wσ = Wα Wβ .
Wσ = Wα Wβ .
References
where S(Rn ) denotes the Schwartz space of all rapidly decreasing smooth func-
tions, û = F [u] is the Fourier transformation of u, d¯ξ = (2π)−n dξ , and
p : Rn × Rn → C is a given function, called the symbol of the pseudodifferential
operator. In the case that p is a smooth function contained in a suitable symbol
class, the pseudodifferential operators have a lot of nice and important algebraic
properties, e.g. they are closed under arbitrary compositions and adjoints and
have natural mapping properties between Sobolev spaces of arbitrary high order.
Moreover, suitable classes of pseudodifferential operators with smooth symbols can
considered. This characterization was extended and refined in [2] and applied to
obtain results on spectral invariance. These results are based on the PhD-thesis
of the second author. It is the goal of this contribution to present these results on
characterization and spectral invariance in the case of symbols in C∗τ Sρ,0m (Rn ×
leaving out some proofs of technical results, generalizing some results and adding
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his trial for burglary and murder. Mr. George was quite a notable
cracksman in his day, which was one pretty remote from ours in
everything but the conservatism of the law. He was ‘housebreaker’ in
the indictment; he was arrested by the Tombland patrol; and he was
carried to court in a ‘chair,’ attended by a party of the City Guard.
“George, says the story, was an elegant figure of a man, and not
at all regardless of the modes. Dark blue coat with brass buttons,
fancy vest, black satin breeches, white silk stockings, hair full
dressed and a brooch in his bosom—that was how he appeared
before his judges.
“The facts were simple enough. On a night of November, a shot
and a screech had been heard in Mr. Browbody’s house in Unthank,
a ward of the city; an entrance had been made through a window,
opportunely open, by the Watch as opportunely handy, and the
housebreaker had been discovered, a warm pistol in his hand,
standing over the body of old Nicholas, who lay dead on the floor
with his head blown in.
“The burglar was found standing, I say, like as in a stupor; the
room was old Browbody’s study; the door from it into the passage
was open, and outside was discovered the body of a girl, Miss Ellen,
lying, as it were, in a dead faint. There you have the situation dashed
in broad; and pretty complete, you’ll agree, for circumstantial
evidence.”
“Wait, my friend,” began Brindley, putting up a fat pompous hand.
“Circumstantial, I think you said?”
“Yes, I said it,” answered the Deputy Clerk coolly; “and if you’ll
listen, you’ll understand—perhaps. I said the girl was in a faint, as it
were, for, as a matter of fact, she never came out of it for seven
months.”
He leant back, thumbing the ashes into his pipe, and took no heed
while the murmurs of incredulity buzzed and died down.
“Not for seven months,” he repeated, then. “They called it a
cataleptic trance, induced by fright and shock upon witnessing the
deed; and they postponed the trial, waiting for this material witness
to recover. But when at last the doctors certified that they could put
no period to a condition which might, after all, end fatally without real
consciousness ever returning, they decided to try Mr. Hussey; and
he was tried and condemned to be hanged.”
“What! he made no defence?” said a junior contemptuously.
“Well, sir, can you suggest one?” asked the other civilly.
“Suicide, of course.”
“With the pistol there in the burglar’s own hand?”
“Well, he made none, you say.”
“No, I don’t say it. He declared it was ridiculous attempting a
defence, while he lacked his one essential witness to confirm it. He
protested only that the lady would vindicate him if she could speak.”
“O, of course!”
“Yes, of course; and of course you say it. But he spoke the truth,
sir, for all that, as you’ll see.
“He was lodged in Norwich Jail, biding the finish. But, before the
hangman could get him—that time, at least—he managed to break
out, damaging a warder by the way. The dogs of the law were let
loose, naturally; but, while they were in full cry, Mr. Hussey, if you’ll
believe me, walks into a local attorney’s office with Miss Ellen on his
arm.”
Brindley turned in his chair, and gave a little condescending laugh.
“Incredible, ain’t it?” said the Deputy Clerk. “But listen, now, to the
affidavits of the pair, and judge for yourselves. We’ll take Miss Ellen’s
first, plain as I can make it:—
“ ‘I confess,’ says she, ‘to a romantic attachment to this same
picturesque magsman, Mr. Hussey. He came my way—never mind
how—and I fell in love with him. He made an assignation to visit me
in my guardian’s house, and I saw that a window was left open for
him to enter by. My guardian had latterly been in a very odd,
depressed state. I think he was troubled about business matters. On
the night of the assignation, by the irony of fate, his madness came
to a head. He was of such methodical habits by nature, and so
unerringly punctual in his hour for going to bed, that I had not
hesitated to appoint my beau to meet me in his study, which was
both remotest from his bedroom, and very accessible from without.
But, to my confusion and terror, I heard him on this night, instead of
retiring as usual, start pacing to and fro in the parlour underneath. I
listened, helpless and aghast, expecting every moment to hear him
enter his study and discover my lover, who must surely by now be
awaiting me there. And at length I did hear him actually cross the
passage to it with hurried steps. Half demented, dreading anything
and everything, I rushed down the stairs, and reached his room door
just in time to see him put a pistol to his head and fire. With the flash
and report, I fell as if dead, and remember nothing more till the voice
of my beloved seemed to call upon me to rise from the tomb—when I
opened my eyes, and saw Hussey standing above me.’
“Now for Mr. Hussey’s statement:—
“ ‘I had an assignation with a young lady,’ says he, ‘on the night of
so-and-so. A window was to be left open for me in Unthank. I had no
intent whatever to commit a felony. I came to appointment, and had
only one moment entered when I heard rapid footsteps outside, and
a man, with a desperate look on him, hurried into the room, snatched
a pistol from a drawer, put it to his head, and, before I could stop
him, fired. I swear that, so far from killing him, I tried to prevent him
killing himself. I jumped, even as he fell, and tore the pistol from his
hand. Simultaneous with his deed, I heard a scream outside. Still
holding the weapon, I went to the door, and saw the form of her I had
come to visit lying in that trance from which she has but now
recovered. As I stood stupefied, the Watch entered and took me.
From that time I knew that, lacking her evidence, it was hopeless to
attempt to clear myself. After sentence I broke prison, rushed
straight to her house, found her lying there, and called out upon her
to wake and help me. She answered at once, stirring and coming out
of her trance. I know no more than that she did; and there is the
whole truth.’ ”
The Deputy Clerk stopped. No one spoke.
“Now, gentlemen,” said he, “I don’t ask you to pronounce upon
those affidavits. In the upshot the law accepted them, admitting a
miscarriage of justice. What I ask your verdict on is this: Could the
law, after quashing its own conviction, hold the man responsible for
any act committed by him during, and as the direct result of, that
wrongful imprisonment?”
This started the ball, and for minutes it was tossed back and forth.
Presently the tumult subsided, and Brindley spoke authoritatively for
the rest—
“Certainly it could, and for any violence committed in the act.
Provocation may extenuate, but it don’t justify. Prison-breaking, per
se, is an offence against the law; so’s being found without any visible
means of subsistence, though your pocket may just have been
picked of its last penny. Any concessions in these respects would
benefit the rogue without helping the community. I won’t say that if
he hadn’t, by assaulting the warder, put himself out of court——”
“That was where he wanted to put himself,” interrupted the Deputy
Clerk. It was certain that he was deplorably flippant.
Brindley waved the impertinence by.
“The offence was an offence in outlawry,” he said.
“But how could it be,” protested the Clerk, “since, by the law’s own
admission, he was wrongfully convicted? If he hadn’t been, he
couldn’t have hurt the warder. If you strike me first, mayn’t I hit you
back? I tell you, the law acknowledged that it was in the wrong.”
“Not at all. It acknowledged that the man was in the right.”
“Isn’t that the same thing?”
“O, my friend! I see you haven’t got the rudiments. Hussey was a
prisoner; a criminal is a prisoner; ergo, Hussey was a criminal.”
“But he was a prisoner in error!”
“And the law might very properly pardon him that; but not his
violence in asserting it.”
The Deputy Clerk shrugged his shoulders hopelessly.
“Well, it was all the same in the end,” said he; “for it hanged him
for pointing out its error to it, and so spoiled a very pretty romance.
The lady accompanied him to the scaffold, and afterwards died mad.
Sic itur ad astra. I will cap your syllogism, sir. An ass has long ears;
the law has long ears; ergo, the law is an ass.”
“Young man,” said Brindley, with more good humour than I
expected, “you have missed your vocation. Take my advice, and go
to writing for the comic papers.”
“What!” cried the Deputy Clerk. “Haven’t I been a law reporter all
my life!”
THE FIVE INSIDES
I’ll example you with thievery.—“Timon of Athens.”
The dear old lady was ninety, and it was always Christmas in the
sweet winter of her face. With the pink in her cheeks and the white of
her hair, she came straight from the eighteenth century in which she
was born. They were not more at odds with nature than are the hips
and the traveller’s joy in a withered hedge; and if at one time they
paid to art, why it was a charitable gift to a poor dependent—nothing
more, I’ll swear.
People are fond of testing links with the past. This sound old
chatelaine had played trick-track, and dined at four o’clock. She had
eaten battalia pie with “Lear” sauce, and had drunk orgeat in Bond
Street. She had seen Blücher, the tough old “Vorwärts,” brought to
bay in Hyde Park by a flying column of Amazons, and surrendering
himself to an onslaught of kisses. She had seen Mr. Consul
Brummell arrested by bailiffs in the streets of Caen, on a debt of so
many hundreds of francs for so many bottles of vernis de Guiton,
which was nothing less than an adorable boot-polish. She had heard
the demon horns of newspaper boys shrill out the Little Corporal’s
escape from Elba. She had sipped Roman punch, maybe;—I trust
she had never taken snuff. She had—but why multiply instances?
Born in 1790, she had taken just her little share in, and drawn her full
interest of, the history, social and political, of all those years,
fourscore and ten, which filled the interval between then and now.
Once upon a time she had entered a hackney-coach; and, lo!
before her journey was done, it was a railway coach, moving ever
swifter and swifter, and its passengers succeeding one another with
an ever more furious energy of hurry-scurry. Among the rest I got in,
and straight fell into talk, and in love, with this traveller who had
come from so far and from scenes so foreign to my knowledge. She
was as sweet and instructive as an old diary brought from a bureau,
smelling of rose-leaves and cedar-wood. She was merry, too, and
wont to laugh at my wholly illusory attachment to an age which was
already as dead as the moon when I was born. But she humoured
me; though she complained that her feminine reminiscences were
sweetmeats to a man.
“You should talk with William keeper,” she said. “He holds on to the
past by a very practical link indeed.”
It was snowy weather up at the Hall—the very moral of another
winter (so I was told) when His Majesty’s frigate “Caledonia” came
into Portsmouth to be paid off, and Commander Playfair sent
express to his young wife up in the Hampshire hills that she might
expect him early on the following morning. He did not come in the
morning, nor in the afternoon, nor, indeed, until late in the evening,
when—as Fortune was generous—he arrived just at the turn of the
supper, when the snow outside the kitchen windows below was
thawing itself, in delirious emulation of the melting processes going
on within, into a rusty gravy.
“You see,” said Madam, “it was not the etiquette, when a ship was
paid off, for any officer to quit the port until the pennant was struck,
which the cook, as the last officer, had to see done. And the cook
had gone ashore and got tipsy; and there the poor souls must bide
till he could be found. Poor Henry—and poor little me! But it came
right. Tout vient à qui sait attendre. We had woodcocks for supper. It
was just such a winter as this—the snow, the sky, the very day. Will
you take your gun, and get me a woodcock, sir? and we will keep the
anniversary, and you shall toast, in a bottle of the Madeira, the old
French rhyme.”
I had this rhyme in my ears as I went off for my woodcock—