'll do everything I can to make
things straight and comfortable for her. If she likes to have another
lawyer, of course, that's all right. Only make her understand who
Mowbray and Mopus are. It's quite out of the question, Lord Fawn,
that your wife should have anything to do with Mowbray and Mopus."
Every word that Mr. Camperdown said was gospel to Lord Fawn.
And yet, as the reader will understand, Mr. Camperdown had by no
means expressed his real opinion in this interview. He had spoken of
the widow in friendly terms,--declaring that she was simply mistaken
in her ideas as to the duration of her interest in the Scotch
property, and mistaken again about the diamonds;--whereas in truth he
regarded her as a dishonest, lying, evil-minded harpy. Had Lord Fawn
consulted him simply as a client, and not have come to him an engaged
lover, he would have expressed his opinion quite frankly; but it is
not the business of a lawyer to tell his client evil things of the
lady whom that client is engaged to marry. In regard to the property
he spoke the truth, and he spoke what he believed to be the truth
when he said that the whole thing would no doubt now be easily
arranged. When Lord Fawn took his leave, Mr. Camperdown again
declared to himself that as regarded money the match was very well
for his lordship; but that, as regarded the woman, Lizzie was dear
at the price. "Perhaps he doesn't mind it," said Mr. Camperdown to
himself, "but I wouldn't marry such a woman myself, though she owned
all Scotland."
There had been much in the interview to make Lord Fawn unhappy.
In the first place, that golden hope as to the perpetuity of the
property was at an end. He had never believed that it was so; but a
man may hope without believing. And he was quite sure that Lizzie was
bound to give up the diamonds,--and would ultimately be made to give
them up. Of any property in them, as possibly accruing to himself,
he had not thought much;--but he could not abstain from thinking of
the woman's grasp upon them. Mr. Camperdown's plain statement, which
was gospel to him, was directly at variance with Lizzie's story. Sir
Florian certainly would not have given such diamonds in such a way.
Sir Florian would not have ordered a separate iron safe for them,
with a view that they might be secure in his wife's bed-room. And
then she had had them valued, and manifestly was always thinking of
her treasure. It was very well for a poor, careful peer to be alwa
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