lf and the only youth whom she had known.
But when he had spoken, and had clasped her to his heart, she had
never dreamed of rebuking him. She had known nothing better than he,
and desired nothing better than to live with him and to be loved by
him. She did not think that it could be possible to know any one
better. This weary, weary title filled her with dismay. Daniel, as
he walked along thinking of her embrace, thinking of those kisses,
and thinking also of his father's caution, swore to himself that the
difficulties in his way should never stop him in his course.

CHAPTER V.

THE SOLICITOR-GENERAL MAKES A PROPOSITION.

When Mr. Flick returned from Sicily he was very strongly in favour
of some compromise. He had seen the so-called Italian Countess,--who
certainly was now called Contessa by everybody around her,--and he
did not believe that she had ever been married to the old Earl. That
an Italian lady had been married to the old lord now twenty-five
years ago, he did believe,--probably the younger sister of this
woman,--and he also believed that this wife had been dead before the
marriage at Applethwaite. That was his private opinion. Mr. Flick
was, in his way, an honest man,--one who certainly would have taken
no conscious part in getting up an unjust claim; but he was now
acting as legal agent for the young Earl, and it was not his business
to get up evidence for the Earl's opponents. He did think that were
he to use all his ingenuity and the funds at his disposal he would
be able to reach the real truth in such a manner that it should be
made clear and indubitable to an English jury; but if the real truth
were adverse to his side, why search for it? He understood that
the English Countess would stand her ground on the legality of the
Applethwaite marriage, and on the acquittal of the old Earl as to the
charge of bigamy. The English Countess being firm, so far as that
ground would make her firm, it would in reality be for the other
side--for the young Earl--to prove a former marriage. The burden of
the proof would be with him, and not with the English Countess to
disprove it. Disingenuous lawyers--Mr. Flick, who though fairly
honest could be disingenuous, among the number--had declared the
contrary. But such was the case; and, as money was scarce with the
Countess and her friends, no attempt had been made on their part to
bring home evidence from Sicily. All this Mr. Flick knew, and doubted
how far it