ge was made, then what a grand thing it would have
been for the Lovel family! Of those who held this opinion, the rector
of Yoxham was the strongest, and the most envenomed against the
Solicitor-General. During the whole of that Tuesday he went about
declaring that the interests of the Lovel family had been sacrificed
by their own counsel, and late in the afternoon he managed to get
hold of Mr. Hardy. Could nothing be done? Mr. Hardy was of opinion
that nothing could be done now; but in the course of the evening he
did, at the rector's instance, manage to see Sir William, and to ask
the question, "Could nothing be done?"

"Nothing more than we propose to do."

"Then the case is over," said Mr. Hardy. "I am assured that no one
will stir on behalf of that Italian lady."

"If any one did stir it would only be loss of time and money. My dear
Hardy, I understand as well as any one what people are saying, and
I know what must be the feeling of many of the Lovels. But I can
only do my duty by my client to the best of my judgment. In the
first place, you must remember that he has himself acknowledged the
Countess."

"By our advice," said Mr. Hardy.

"You mean by mine. Exactly so;--but with such conviction on his own
part that he positively refuses to be a party to any suit which
shall be based on the assumption that she is not Countess Lovel.
Let an advocate be ever so obdurate, he can hardly carry on a case
in opposition to his client's instructions. We are acting for Lord
Lovel, and not for the Lovel family. And I feel assured of this, that
were we to attempt to set up the plea that that other woman was alive
when the marriage took place in Cumberland, you, yourself, would be
ashamed of the evidence which it would become your duty to endeavour
to foist upon the jury. We should certainly be beaten, and, in
the ultimate settlement of the property, we should have to do
with enemies instead of friends. The man was tried for bigamy and
acquitted. Would any jury get over that unless you had evidence
to offer to them that was plain as a pikestaff, and absolutely
incontrovertible?"

"Do you still think the girl will marry the Earl?"

"No; I do not. She seems to have a will of her own, and that will is
bent the other way. But I do think that a settlement may be made of
the property which shall be very much in the Earl's favour." When on
the following morning the Solicitor-General made his second speech,
which did not occupy