own claim; and it
would be gall and wormwood to him to give to such a one a moiety
of the wealth which should go to support the ancient dignity and
aristocratic grace of the house of Lovel. He hated compromise and
desired justice,--and was a great rather than a successful lawyer.
Sir William had at once perceived that there was something in the
background on which it was his duty to calculate, which he was bound
to consider,--but with which at the same time it was inexpedient
that he should form a closer or more accurate acquaintance. He must
do the best he could for his client. Earl Lovel with a thousand
a year, and that probably already embarrassed, would be a poor,
wretched creature, a mock lord, an earl without the very essence of
an earldom. But Earl Lovel with fifteen or twenty thousand a year
would be as good as most other earls. It would be but the difference
between two powdered footmen and four, between four hunters and
eight, between Belgrave Square and Eaton Place. Sir William, had he
felt confident, would of course have preferred the four footmen for
his client, and the eight hunters, and Belgrave Square; even though
the poor English Countess should have starved, or been fed by the
tailor's bounty. But he was not confident. He began to think that
that wicked old Earl had been too wicked for them all. "They say
she's a very nice girl," said Sir William.

"Very handsome indeed, I'm told," said Mr. Flick.

"And in love with the son of the old tailor from Keswick," said Mr.
Hardy.

"She'll prefer the lord to the tailor for a guinea," said Sir
William.

And thus it was decided, after some indecisive fashion, that their
client should be sounded as to the expedience of a compromise. It
was certain to them that the poor woman would be glad to accept, for
herself and her daughter, half of the wealth at stake, which half
would be to her almost unlimited riches, on the condition that their
rank was secured to them,--their rank and all the privileges of
honest legitimacy. But as to such an arrangement the necessary delay
offered no doubt a serious impediment, and it was considered that
the wisest course would be to propose the marriage. But who should
propose it, and how should it be proposed? Sir William was quite
willing to make the suggestion to the young Lord or the young Lord's
family, whose consent must of course be first obtained; but who
should then break the ice to the Countess? "I suppose we must ask ou