rls. They are already in my possession for safe
keeping, and many is the covetous glance they have received from me. Those
precious pearls! I think you valued them at three thousand dollars,
Miles," Lucy continued, "and my father will at once pay you that sum on my
behalf. Then send for the lawyer of your persecutor, for I can call him
nothing else, and offer to pay that much on his demand provided he will
accept my father as bail. If he be the son of being you fancy him, and so
his acts I think prove him to be, he will be glad to accept the offer."

I was delighted at the readiness of resources this proved in Lucy, nor was
the project in the least unlikely to succeed. Could I get four or five
thousand dollars together, I had no doubt Daggett would accept Mr.
Hardinge for bail, as it was only as surety for my appearance in court.
That was then required, and no one could really think I would abscond and
leave my old guardian in the lurch. Still, I could not think of thus
robbing Lucy. Left to her own sense of propriety, I well knew she would
never dream of investing so large a sum as the pearls were really worth,
in ornaments for her person; and the pearls were worth but little more
than half the sum she had named.

"This will not do," I answered, expressing my gratitude with my eyes, "and
no more need be said about it. I cannot rob you, dearest Lucy, because you
are so ready to submit to be robbed. Leave me here a few days, and Mr.
Meekly will come to volunteer a plan of setting me free."

"I have it!" exclaimed Mr. Hardinge, jumping up and seizing his hat.
"Lucy, I'll be back in fifteen minutes; then we'll bear Miles off in
triumph, to your own house. Yes, yes, the scheme cannot fail, with a
lawyer of any respectability."

"May I know what it is, dear papa?" Lucy asked, glancing expressively
towards me.

"Why, it's just this. I'll go and find the bishop, who'll do anything to
oblige me, and he and I'll go, in company, to this Mr. Meekly's office,
and pledge our words as divines, that Miles shall appear in court, as the
under-sheriff told me would be required, when all will be settled to our
heart's content. On my way to the bishop's, I'll just stop in at Richard
Harrison's office, and take his opinion in the matter."

"Well, sir, the notion of seeing Richard Harrison is a good one. He may
suggest something in the way of practice that will be useful to us. If you
could step across the way, and get him to pay me a s