t they would willingly have accommodated, at my
request, a very much larger family than my own. Mrs Neverbend at once
went to work to provide for my enforced absence, and in the course of
the day Eva Crasweller came in to help her. Eva's manner to myself
had become perfectly altered since the previous morning. Nothing
could be more affectionate, more gracious, or more winning, than she
was now; and I envied Jack the short moments of _tete-a-tete_ retreat
which seemed from time to time to be necessary for carrying out the
arrangements of the day.

I may as well state here, that from this time Abraham Grundle
showed himself to be a declared enemy, and that the partnership was
dissolved between Crasweller and himself. He at once brought an
action against my old friend for the recovery of that proportion of
his property to which he was held to be entitled under our marriage
laws. This Mr Crasweller immediately offered to pay him; but some
of our more respectable lawyers interfered, and persuaded him not
to make the sacrifice. There then came on a long action, with an
appeal,--all which was given against Grundle, and nearly ruined the
Grundles. It seemed to me, as far as I could go into the matter, that
Grundle had all the law on his side. But there arose certain quibbles
and questions, all of which Jack had at his fingers'-ends, by the
strength of which the unfortunate young man was trounced. As I
learned by the letters which Eva wrote to me, Crasweller was all
through most anxious to pay him; but the lawyers would not have it
so, and therefore so much of the property of Little Christchurch was
saved for the ultimate benefit of that happy fellow Jack Neverbend.

On the afternoon of the one day which, as a matter of grace, had
been allowed to me, Sir Ferdinando declared his intention of making
a speech to the people of Gladstonopolis. "He was desirous," he
said, "of explaining to the community at large the objects of H.M.
Government in sending him to Britannula, and in requesting the
inhabitants to revert to their old form of government." "Request
indeed," I said to Crasweller, throwing all possible scorn into the
tone of my voice,--"request! with the North-north-west Birmingham
regiment, and his 250-ton steam-swiveller in the harbour! That
Ferdinando Brown knows how to conceal his claws beneath a velvet
glove. We are to be slaves,--slaves because England so wills it. We
are robbed of our constitution, our freedom of actio