Q. C. (The Pretext)

The abbreviation Q. C. occurs while it is explained how Guy Dawnish got to know the Ransoms (Lewis, 1968, p. 634). Q. C. is short for Queen’s Counsel (Hornby, 2015, p. 1258) which is a term for a very senior barrister “who the monarch appoints to be a part of Her Majesty’s Counsel learned in the law.” (What is Queen’s Counsel?, 2021). A lawyer must practice ten years and be recommended by the Lord Chancellor before he can become a Queen’s Counsel. To become a Queen’s Counsel is seen as an excellent honor in the career of a barrister. A Queen’s Counsel is recognized as an expert and leader in her or his legal field and her or his tasks are to take the lead on cases, especially in rather complex cases in which expertise and experience is required (What is Queen’s Counsel?, 2021).

In the short story the mentioned Queen’s Counsel is a friend of Guy Dawnish but also of the Ransoms. This shows on the one hand again the wealthy and smart environment Guy Dawnish lives in but on the other hand it also shows the connections and the high reputation of the Ransoms.

Sources:

Hornby, A. S. (2015). Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Lewis, R. W. B. (1968). The Collected Short Stories of Edith Wharton. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.

“What is Queen’s Counsel?”. St. Pauls Chambers, 2021, https://www.stpaulschambers.com/what-is-queens-counsel/. Accessed May 15, 2021.