stors were
impostors? Sir William should be exposed and degraded,--though,
in regard to this threatened degradation, Mr. Lovel was almost of
opinion that his party would like their Solicitor-General better for
having shown himself to be a traitor, and therefore proved himself to
be a good Whig. He stormed and flew about the room, using language
which hardly became his cloth. If his nephew married the girl, he
would never own his nephew again. If that swindle was to prevail,
let his nephew be poor and honest. He would give half of all he had
towards supporting the peerage, and was sure that his boys would
thank him for what he had done. But they should never call that woman
cousin; and as for himself, might his tongue be blistered if ever he
spoke of either of those women as Countess Lovel. He was inclined
to think that the whole case should immediately be taken out of
the hands of Norton and Flick, without further notice, and another
solicitor employed. But at last he consented to call on Mr. Norton on
the following morning.

Mr. Norton was a heavy, honest old man, who attended to simple
conveyancing, and sat amidst the tin boxes of his broad-acred
clients. He had no alternative but to send for Mr. Flick, and Mr.
Flick came. When Mr. Lovel showed his anger, Mr. Flick became
somewhat indignant. Mr. Flick knew how to assert himself, and Mr.
Lovel was not quite the same man in the lawyer's chambers that
he had been in his own parlour at the hotel. Mr. Flick was of
opinion that no better counsel was to be had in England than the
Solicitor-General, and no opinion more worthy of trust than his. If
the Earl chose to put his case into other hands, of course he could
do so, but it would behove his lordship to be very careful lest he
should prejudice most important interests by showing his own weakness
to his opponents. Mr. Flick spoke in the interests of his client,--so
he said,--and not in his own. Mr. Flick was clearly of opinion that a
compromise should be arranged; and having given that opinion, could
say nothing more on the present occasion. On the next day the young
Earl saw Mr. Flick, and also saw Sir William, and was then told by
his aunt of the proposition which had been made. The parson retired
to Yoxham, and Miss Lovel remained in London with her nephew. By
the end of the week Miss Lovel was brought round to think that some
compromise was expedient. All this took place in May. The cause had
been fixed for trial in t