‘I suppose I could try,’ May said dubiously.

‘Do you want me to come with you, to put the case?’

May straightened her back. ‘No. It’s very kind of you but we’ve already asked a lot. This is something we should do for ourselves.’

‘Well said.’ He nodded approvingly. ‘Now, Gus. If May does this for you, and if Mr Freeman can find you a job, you must promise on your honour to play your part. You must stick to the job and keep away from your old friends and your old drinking habits. Do you promise?’

Gus put down his knife and fork. He felt as if he was living in some dream world. He had spent all the previous night reconciling himself to the idea of going to prison and trying to formulate some plan for what he might do when he came out. Then he had been whisked out, bathed, dressed in clothes that were not his own, and asked to commit himself to a future that was not of his own choosing. Something in him rebelled at having his life organised by this stranger, however good his intentions. But he could see that the alternative was prison followed by a hand-to-mouth existence that might well see him back in jail before too long. He nodded his head. ‘Yes, I promise. I’ll do my best.’

‘Good,’ James said. ‘Now, I should get back to my work and you need to go to see Mr Freeman. Take Gus to the barber’s on the way, May, and get his hair cut. After that, all I can do is wish you luck.’

May stood up. ‘There’s just one thing I don’t quite understand. If we do all this, how is the magistrate going to know? You said you couldn’t speak for him in court.’

‘You’re right, I can’t,’ James said. ‘But my principal, Mr Weaver, can because he’s a qualified solicitor. I’m pretty sure I can persuade him to put Gus’s case, after we’ve done all the spade work.’

May frowned. ‘We would have to pay him, wouldn’t we? I don’t know where I’d find the money.’

James smiled reassuringly. ‘Not necessarily. There’s a concept we have in law, pro bono publico. It means for the public good, and sometimes lawyers act without a fee, if they feel it fits that category. I think Mr Weaver will see that it is better for society for Gus to follow the path we have set out rather than go to prison. Now, I must go. Come tomorrow and tell me how you have got on.’

An hour later May and Gus, his hair now trimmed and plastered to his head with pomade, stood outside Mr Freeman’s office. May had sent a message in, asking for a few minutes of his time, and they had been told to wait.