“Who is Brick?” said Mr. Herder.

“He is Ryle’s lawyer.  He stopped me a few days ago and told me there was one matter in the answer with which perhaps I would not be satisfied —­ which perhaps I should not think sufficiently full; but he said, he, who had drawn the answer, knew, personally, all about it; and he assured me that the answer in this matter granted all, and more, than I could gain in any other way; and that if I carried the proceedings further, in hopes to gain more for my client, the effect would only be an endless delay.”

“Do they offer to give him something?” said the naturalist.

“The answer does make disclosures, which though, as I said, vague and imperfect, still promise to give him something.”

“And you think it might be more?”

“Brick assures me, on his own knowledge, that by going on with the matter we shall only gain an endless lawsuit.”

“What do you think, Wint’rop?”

“I want you to give this paper to Mr. Lansing, and ask him what he thinks.  Ask him to read it, and tell him what Brick says; and then let him make up his mind whether we had better go on or not.”

“I do not care for nobody’s mind but yours,” said the naturalist.

“Let us have Mr. Lansing’s first.”

So Mr. Herder carried away the answer to Mr. Lansing, and in a few days came back to report progress.

“He has read it,” said Mr. Herder, “and he says he do not make anything of it at all.  He leaves the whole thing wiz you.”

“Does he understand what is hinted at by these half disclosures?”

“He says he does not understand nozing of it —­ he knows not what they mean —­ he does not know whether to go on, whether to stop here.  He says, and I say, you judge and do what you please.”

“I confess, Mr. Herder, that Mr. Brick’s kind warning has made me suspicious of his and his principal’s good faith; and my will would be to go on.”

“Go on, then!” said the naturalist —­ “I say so too —­ go on!  I do not trust that Brick no more than you do; and Mr. Ryle, him I do not trust.  Now what will you do next?”

“Take exceptions to the answer, where it seems to be insufficient, and make them answer again.”

“Exception —?” said the naturalist.

In answer to which Winthrop went into explanations at some length; from which at least this much was clearly made out by Mr. Herder and Winnie, —­ that the cause would come to a hearing probably in May, before Chancellor Justice; when Winthrop and Mr. Brick would stand openly pitted against each other and have an opportunity of trying their mutual strength, or the strength of their principles; when also it would, according to the issue of said conflict, be decided whether the Ryles must or not reply to Winthrop’s further demands upon them.

“And this Chancellor Justice —­ is he good man?” said Mr. Herder.