dy Wychcote had been made to understand
this, he thought that she could scarcely refuse to deliver up Mrs.
Chesney's son to her.

"You don't know her, Mr. Surtees," here broke in Sophy, white and hard.
"You don't know to what lengths that woman is capable of going...."

"I am not entirely ignorant of her ladyship's ... a ...
characteristics," replied her solicitor somewhat tartly. "But in this
instance I think that I could present the case to her so that she would
a ... see its a ... rationality."

Sophy brooded a moment. Then she said:

"And if she would not listen ... if she insisted on proceeding against
me!"

"Then," replied Mr. Surtees, "she would have to state formally in her
affidavit the sources of her information. An affidavit would also be
forthcoming from the person or persons who could _prove_ the alleged ...
a ... misconduct, or the circumstances from which the misconduct could
be proved. If the Judge believed her ladyship's story he would order
your son to be handed over to her. If he disbelieved it he would order
him to be delivered up to you. I think there is little doubt which story
he would believe, Mrs. Chesney. Besides, the abduction of a child is an
utterly illegal and reprehensible act--no matter what the motive. A
court of morals would look at the motive of course, and so Lady
Wychcote's abduction of your son being prompted by her affection for
him, would be judged differently from a like case in which base or
sordid motives were the cause. But I do not think that her ladyship's
act would be regarded by any Judge as other than highly reprehensible.
This fact, taken with the rest, may well cause her ladyship to
reconsider."

Sophy still brooded, her eyes on the streaking fields. The stilted legal
phraseology seemed part of the grim unnaturalness of everything.
Suddenly she flashed round on him.

"Which way can I get my boy the sooner?" she said.

"By allowing me to go with you to Dynehurst; I am convinced of it," he
replied without an instant's hesitation. "Days might elapse if you took
the other course."

"Very well," she said, "I will go with you--by the first train that we
can take."

* * * * *

It was about nine o'clock when they reached Dynehurst station. They had
to wait there half an hour for a fly. It seemed to Sophy as if this
half-hour of waiting would never end. Then when they were once more on
the way again, the lean hacks plodded at a snail