"No," said Varbarriere, as if he was thinking of something else. "That Donica Gwynn, you mean. She had that green chamber to herself, you see, for a matter of three years."
"And she's one of those old domestic Dianas who are sensitive about scandal--you understand--and she knows what ill-natured people would say; so I quieted her all I could, and I don't think she'll venture to recede. No; she certainly won't."
"How soon can you let me have the notes, sir?"
"To-morrow, when I return. I've an appointment to keep by rail to-night, and I'll make a full memorandum from my notes as I go along."
"Thanks--and what are your instructions?"
"Send back the cases with copies of the new evidence."
"And assuming a favourable opinion, sir, are my instructions to proceed?"
"Certainly, my son, forthwith--the grass it must not grow under our feet."
"Of course subject to counsel's opinion?" said the attorney, sadly.
"And which first--the action or the indictment? or both together?" asked Mr. Rumsey.
"_That_ for counsel too. Only my general direction is, let the onset be as sudden, violent, and determined as possible. You see?"
The attorney nodded gently, tying up his last bundle of papers as softly as a lady might knot her ribbon round the neck of her lap-dog.
"Yes, sir; your object is destruction. Delenda est Carthago--that's the word," murmured Mr. Rumsey, plaintively.
"Yes--ha, ha!--what you call double him up!" clanged out Varbarriere, with an exulting oath and a chuckle.
The attorney had locked up his despatch-box now, and putting the little bunch of keys deep into his trowsers pocket, he said, "Yes, that's the word; but I suppose you have considered--"
"I was going to say whether some more certain result might not be obtainable by negotiation; that is, if you thought it a case for negotiation."
"Well, you see there are materials--there's something to yield at both sides," said the attorney, very slowly, in a diplomatic reverie.
"But why should you think of a compromise?--the worst thing I fancy could happen to _you_."
There was a general truth in this. It is not the ferryman's interest to build a bridge, nor was it Mr. Rumsey's that his client should walk high and dry over those troubled waters through which it was his privilege and profit to pilot him. But he had not quite so much faith in this case as Monsieur Varbarriere had, and he knew that his wealthy and resolute client could grow savage enough in defeat, and had once or twice had stormy interviews with him after failures.