ficate, he peremptorily decided that the conduct of Lady Compton was
not only perfectly justifiable, but praiseworthy, and that the matter
must remain over till the patient was in a condition to be moved. Things
were precisely in this state, except that Clara Brandon had become
perfectly rational; and but for an irrepressible nervous dread of again
falling into the power of her unscrupulous relative, quite calm, when Mr.
Samuel Ferret made his wished-for appearance on the scene of action.
Long and anxious was the conference which Mr. Ferret held with his
munificent client and her interesting protegee, if conference that may be
called in which the astute attorney enacted the part of listener only,
scarcely once opening his thin, cautious lips. In vain did his eager
brain silently ransack the whole armory of the law; no weapon could he
discern which afforded the slightest hope of fighting a successful battle
with a legally-appointed guardian for the custody of his ward. And yet
Mr. Ferret felt, as he looked upon the flashing eye and glowing
countenance of Lady Compton, as she recounted a few of the grievous
outrages inflicted upon the fair and helpless girl reclining beside
her--whose varying cheek and meek suffused eyes bore eloquent testimony
to the truth of the relation--that he would willingly exert a vigor even
_beyond_ the law to meet his client's wishes, could he but see his way to
a safe result. At length a ray of light, judging from his
suddenly-gleaming eyes, seemed to have broken upon the troubled chambers
of his brain, and he rose somewhat hastily from his chair.
"By the by, I will just step and speak to this Susan Hopley, if your
ladyship can inform me in what part of the lower regions I am likely to
meet with her?"
"Let me ring for her."
"No; if you please not. What I have to ask her is of very little
importance; still, to summon her here might give rise to surmises,
reports, and so on, which it may be as well to avoid. I had much rather
see her accidentally, as it were."
"As you please. You will find her somewhere about the housekeeper's
apartments. You know her by sight, I think?"
"Perfectly; and with your leave I'll take the opportunity of directing
the horses to be put to. I must be in London by noon to-morrow if
possible;" and away Mr. Ferret bustled.
"Susan," said Mr. Ferret a few minutes afterwards, "step this way; I want
to have a word with you. Now, tell me are you goose enough to expe
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