m.

Southend was working quietly; aided by Jenkinson Neeld, he had prepared
an elaborate statement and fired it in at Mr Disney's door, himself
retreating as hastily as the urchin who has thrown a cracker. Lady
Evenswood was trying to induce her eminent cousin to come to tea. The
Imp, in response to that official missive which had made such an
impression on her, was compiling her reminiscences of Heidelberg and
Addie Tristram. Everybody was at work, and it was vaguely understood
that Mr Disney was considering the matter, at least that he had not
consigned all the documents to the waste-paper basket and the writers to
perdition--which was a great point gained with Mr Disney. "No hurry,
give me time"--"don't push it"--"wait"--"do nothing"--"the _status
quo_"--all these various phrases expressed Lord Southend's earnest and
re-iterated advice to the conspirators. A barony had, in his judgment,
begun to be a thing which might be mentioned without a smile. And the
viscounty--Well, said Lady Evenswood, if Robert were once convinced,
the want of precedents would not stop him; precedents must, after all,
be made, and why should not Robert make them?

This then, the moment when all the wise and experienced people were
agreed that nothing could, should, or ought to be done, was the chance
for a Tristram. Addie would have seized it without an instant's
hesitation; Cecily, her blood unavoidably diluted with a strain of
Gainsborough, took two whole days to make the plunge--two days and a
struggle, neither of which would have happened had she been Addie. But
she did at last reach the conclusion that immediate action was
necessary, that she was the person to act, that she could endure no more
delay, that she must herself go to Harry and do the one terrible thing
which alone suited, met, and could save the situation. It was very
horrible to her. Here was its last and irresistible fascination. Mina
supplied Harry's address--ostensibly for the purpose of a letter;
nothing else was necessary but a hansom cab.

In his quiet room in Duke Street, Harry was working out some details of
the proposed buildings at Blinkhampton. Iver was to come to town next
day, and Harry thought that the more entirely ready they seemed to go
on, the more eager Iver would be to stop them; so he was at it with his
elevations, plans, and estimates. It was just six o'clock, and a couple
of quiet hours stretched before him. Nothing was in his mind except
Blinkhampt