He commenced action by questioning Mr. Nutty, who exhibited most restive indications under examination. Charley demanded to see the warrant under which Mr. Nutty held possession, which Mr. Nutty refused, but, under the bewildering, sharp, quick, and pertinent questions of the young lawyer, he let slip the fact that Mr. Jukes had gone away without lodging it with him.
“You are not certain that Mr. Jukes has it, I dare be sworn!” cried Charley, looking at him, fixedly.
“Take my oath on it. I seed it in his hand, when he made the seizure, and he ort to a gev’ it me afore he went away.”
“No; he was so okkepied with his prisoner that he took it with him.”
“Yes, you must! You have no warrant you know, therefore, you are _not_ in _possession_. In point of fact and of law--you are guilty of an act of trespass. You had better go.”
“Then I shall make you! If you resist, I will fling you over the banisters to the passage below!”
“Do not hurt him too much!” interposed Lotte, with a half-frightened look.
“Not if he goes quietly--but out he must go!”
“If you uses wiolence, I’ll have the lor on you!” cried Nutty, in evident terror.
“I shall only use the proper force to put you into the street, and, unless you at once disappear, I warn you you must take the consequences of the false position in which you know, as well as I do, your employer, through his negligence, has placed you.”
“Ain’t a’going!” cried Nutty, folding his arms, and placing his back against the wall.
“Very well,” said Charley, “that is a point we have to determine.”
He caught Mr. Nutty firmly by the wrist, and then giving his own hand an overturn, and Mr. Nutty’s an underturn, he, with his left hand seized him by his collar, and drew him at a rapid rate towards the door.
“Yah!” he cried, “le’go my arm, your’e dexlycatin’ on it.”
Charley, however, heeded him not, but put him outside the door on to the landing. The man in possession was thus no longer entitled to his cognomen.
Would’st thou do such a deed for all the world?
Charley had barely re-entered the room when Mr. Jukes burst into it with a sudden crash, followed by Sudds and Nutty, A noisy and angry colloquy instantly ensued, but Charley was too well acquainted with the character of the men he had to deal with either to permit himself to be bullied or browbeaten, and he had no intention that they should maintain their standing upon illegal documents.