Mercy Among the Children

Constable Morris takes the threatening letters Sydney received in the mail and tells Sydney that he must have falsified them. Inspector Morris tries to convince Elly to give evidence against Sydney. After their discussion, Elly stays in bed because she is afraid of losing her child. No one speaks to the Henderson children at school. Sydney stops going to church but reads Marcus Aurelius. McVicer is blamed for hiring Sydney in the first place and throws a children’s benefit to garner public goodwill. Rudy has misgivings about the suffering of the Hendersons, but Mat Pit intimidates him into silence. Crazed with guilt himself, Mat steals a Fitzgerald novel from the Hendersons’ house.

The inquest begins, and Isabel Young defends Sydney. Constable Morris takes the stand, followed by McVicer. If Sydney is not charged, McVicer will face a lawsuit over the availability of explosives. Isabel Young collects evidence of the suffering Sydney has endured over the years. Connie Devlin perjures himself by lying about Sydney. Mat Pit is a witness and uses a book of Sydney’s that has sexual content to evidence his claim that Sydney tormented and sexually abused Trenton.