bject, and whatever may be the advice which you shall consider it
to be your duty to give to the mother,--and I am sure that you will
feel bound to let her know the proposition that has been made; I do
not hesitate to say that we have a right to expect that it shall be
made known to her,--I need hardly remark that were the young lady to
accept the young lord's hand we should all be in a boat together in
reference to the mother's rank, and to the widow's claim upon the
personal property left behind him by her late husband."

And so the Solicitor-General had made his proposition, and the
conference was broken up with a promise that Mr. Flick should hear
from Mr. Goffe upon the subject. But the Serjeant had at once made
up his mind against the compromise now proposed. He desired the
danger and the dust and the glory of the battle. He was true to his
clients' interests, no doubt,--intended to be intensely true; but the
personal, doggish love of fighting prevailed in the man, and he was
clear as to the necessity of going on. "They know they are beat," he
said to Mr. Goffe. "Mr. Solicitor knows as well as I do that he has
not an inch of ground under his feet." Therefore Mr. Goffe wrote the
following letter to Messrs. Norton and Flick:--

Raymond's Buildings, Gray's Inn,
1st July, 183--.

DEAR SIRS,

In reference to the interview which took place at the
chambers of the Solicitor-General on the 27th ult., we
are to inform you that we are not disposed, as acting for
our clients, the Countess of Lovel and her daughter the
Lady Anna Lovel, to listen to the proposition then made.
Apart from the very strong feeling we entertain as to the
certainty of our client's success,--which certainly was
not weakened by what we heard on that occasion,--we are
of opinion that we could not interfere with propriety in
suggesting the marriage of two young persons who have not
as yet had any opportunity of becoming acquainted with
each other. Should the Earl of Lovel seek the hand of
his cousin, the Lady Anna Lovel, and marry her with the
consent of the Countess, we should be delighted at such
a family arrangement; but we do not think that we, as
lawyers,--or, if we may be allowed to say so, that you as
lawyers,--have anything to do with such a matter.

We are, dear Sirs,
Yours very faithfully,

GOFFE AND GOFFE.

Messrs. Norton and Flick.

"Balderdash!" said Si