My dear Dorothy,—I am sorry that you should have had so much trouble about your luggage; it must be very annoying to be deprived of one’s things, quite apart from all consideration of their value, and I can quite appreciate the amount of trouble and inconvenience, to say nothing of expense, which you have been put to by the loss of your portmanteau.

I am happy to say, however, that I can give you a certain amount of comfort. The Company are clearly liable and will have to compensate you for its loss.

If you leave your luggage at a railway station, on the platform or in a waiting-room, telling a porter to keep an eye on it, and your luggage is lost or stolen, the Company will not be liable for its loss, because it is not part of a porter’s duties to act as a quasi-policeman or detective, and moreover the Company provide a place where such luggage can be left with safety, viz., the cloak-room. But your case is quite different, you gave your portmanteau into the Company’s charge at Brighton, to deliver to you in London, and the Company became responsible for its safe delivery to you the moment it was given into their possession.

I will give a categorical reply to your queries.

1. If the box is lost, you can claim compensation for the value of the box and its contents.

2. If the box is not lost and is restored to you, you can still claim compensation for the expense you have incurred in buying new clothes, etc.

3. In either case you can claim damages for the trouble and annoyance caused by the Company’s detaining your portmanteau for nearly three months.

4. As the matter arose between Brighton and London, you could enter the action at either place; you will, of course, enter it in London.

5. If Gerald can give any information, he will have to appear as witness, in which case he will get his expenses as a witness, but he cannot claim compensation because he happens to be away at work in the country, and it may be inconvenient for him to come up to town.

6. Yes, you will have to appear as plaintiff, to give evidence of the value of the portmanteau and its contents, and also of the date and other particulars of its being given into the charge of the Company.

Lastly, I do not suppose the Company will pay much attention to any letters which you or Gerald may write on the subject, but a letter from a lawyer will probably bring them to the point, and so you had better “screw up your courage to the sticking point,” and consult a respectable lawyer.

I may tell you that if your box was stolen and the railway company get hold of the thief, you will not be obliged to prosecute him—the Company will do that for you—but you will have to appear as a witness.

I think the cabman was quite within his rights in claiming twopence for the bag which was placed upon the footboard of the hansom. The Act says “outside,” and the footboard of the hansom is just as much the “outside” as the roof of the cab. I am aware that a metropolitan magistrate decided quite the contrary way the other day, and dismissed the claim of a cabman, who sought to charge a lady twopence for a bag which was carried on the footboard, but I confess I read the report of the magistrate’s decision with considerable surprise and it does not make me alter my opinion; the magistrate was wrong, and the cabman was entitled to his twopence.

It is not necessary for Gerald to take out a gun licence because he has come into the possession of a gun left him by his uncle; the mere fact of having a gun does not make it imperative for its owner to have a gun licence. It differs in this respect from the licence for armorial bearings; but if he wishes to use the gun, he must take out a licence to carry one, and if he intends to shoot game with it, then he must take out a licence to kill game.

It really comes to this, unless a man has opportunities for a good deal of shooting, it is not worth his while to take out these licences which are fairly expensive.

I have a gun, but I have never yet taken out a licence to carry it, because I don’t carry it, I keep it at home in its case. One of these days when I have a “shoot” of my own, I shall take out the necessary licences and advise Gerald to do the same.

Your affectionate cousin, Bob Briefless.