My Mother — Page 132
132 at all. By your hasty and thoughtless action you have hurt your friend. Go back to him, ask him to forgive you and comfort him. ’ I returned to the woebegone Inamullah and apologised to him. He was overcome and blubbered, ‘I was sure Mother would send you back. ’ I was then a practising Barrister of several years standing! In the autumn of 1930 when I was in London in connection with the first Round Table Conference, an appeal from a judg- ment of the Lahore High Court in which I had instructed a firm of London solicitors was posted for hearing before a Board of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. The solicitor tel- ephoned to me and suggested that it would be a good experience for me if I were to attend at the hearing of the appeal in the capac- ity of junior counsel for the appellants. There was no question of a fee. On the day of the hearing he borrowed the necessary robes for me and there was a brief consultation with the senior counsel. The Board was presided over by Lord Blanesburgh, a Scottish Lord of Appeal. The hearing began and within a few minutes the senior counsel found himself in difficulties. As he was not able to furnish satisfac tory explanations on points raised by the members of the Board, their Lordships began to close their paper books. I felt that I could furnish the explanations and was troubled at the situation that had developed. Lord Blanesburgh noticed my agita- tion and remarked, ‘Perhaps you could help us. ’ I said I would try, and thus I took over the argument. Their Lordships were interested and encouraged me at every step. I felt that they enjoyed my presentation of the case as an intel- lectual treat, as difficulty after difficulty was resolved and every- thing fell into place. The upshot was that our appeal was accepted.