is only two years old, and will have time enough to
make fortunes for his own younger sons, if he does not squander
everything. If he does, the ten thousand pounds will make no
difference."

"But the justice of the thing, John!"

"Justice may be purchased too dearly."

"Such a harpy as she is, too!" pleaded the lawyer. Then Lord Fawn had
come in, and Greystock had followed immediately afterwards.

"I may as well say at once," said Greystock, "that Lady Eustace is
determined to maintain her right to the property; and that she will
not give up the diamonds till some adequate court of law shall have
decided that she is mistaken in her views. Stop one moment, Mr.
Camperdown. I feel myself bound to go further than that, and express
my own opinion that she is right."

"I can hardly understand such an opinion as coming from you," said
Mr. Camperdown.

"You have changed your mind, at any rate," said John Eustace.

"Not so, Eustace. Mr. Camperdown, you'll be good enough to understand
that my opinion expressed here is that of a friend, and not that of a
lawyer. And you must understand, Eustace," continued Greystock, "that
I am speaking now of my cousin's right to the property. Though the
value be great, I have advised her to give up the custody of it for a
while, till the matter shall be clearly decided. That has still been
my advice to her, and I have in no respect changed my mind. But she
feels that she is being cruelly used, and with a woman's spirit will
not, in such circumstances, yield anything. Mr. Camperdown actually
stopped her carriage in the street."

"She would not answer a line that anybody wrote to her," said the
lawyer.

"And I may say plainly,--for all here know the circumstances,--that
Lady Eustace feels the strongest possible indignation at the manner
in which she is being treated by Lord Fawn."

"I have only asked her to give up the diamonds till the question
should be settled," said Lord Fawn.

"And you backed your request, my lord, by a threat! My cousin is
naturally most indignant; and, my lord, you must allow me to tell you
that I fully share the feeling."

"There is no use in making a quarrel about it," said Eustace.

"The quarrel is already made," replied Greystock. "I am here to tell
Lord Fawn in your presence, and in the presence of Mr. Camperdown,
that he is behaving to a lady with ill-usage, which he would not
dare to exercise did he not know that her position saves him from
legal pu