‘Well, what shall we do?’ asked Frank helplessly.  The British law makes one feel so.

’Well, I should stand out, if I were you.  There is certainly a chance.’

‘Look here, old chap,’ said Frank, ’I may as well be honest with you.  If this thing goes against me, I am stony broke.  I don’t know where your costs are coming from.’

‘Don’t bother about that,’ said Owen kindly.  ’After all, Manners is not infallible.  Let us have Holland, and see what he can make of it.’

So twenty-four hours later Frank found Owen radiant with another opinion in his hand.

‘Dead for us this time.  Look here!’

And he read out, ’I have carefully considered the case submitted to me for my opinion, and the documents sent therewith.  In my opinion the Hotspur Insurance Company, Limited, are not entitled to recover against Mr. Crosse the sum claimed by them or any part thereof, as there has been a breach on their part of an essential condition of the guarantee.’  ‘He reads “frequently and periodically” as we do,’ continued Owen, glancing over the long document, ’and he is very clear as to our case.’

‘Suppose we have another, and try the best of three,’ said Frank.

’It’s too expensive a game.  No, Holland is a sound man, and his opinion would weigh with any judge.  I think we have enough to go on with.’

‘And you think it is safe?’

’No, no, nothing is ever safe in the law.  But we can make a fight of it now.’

And now Frank was to learn what it meant to be entangled in an intricate clumsy old machine, incredibly cumbrous and at the same time incredibly powerful, jolting along with its absurd forms and abominable English towards an end which might or might not be just, but was most certainly ruinously expensive.  The game began by a direct letter from the Queen, of all people, an honour which Frank had never aspired to before, and certainly never did again.

Victoria, by the grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the Faith, remarked abruptly to Frank Crosse of Woking, in the county of Surrey, ’We command you that within eight days of the service of this writ on you, inclusive of the day of such service, you cause an appearance to be entered for you in an action at the suit of the Hotspur Insurance Company, Limited.’  If he didn’t do so, Her Majesty remarked that several very unpleasant things might occur, and Hardinge Stanley, Earl of Halsbury, corroborated Her Majesty.  Maude was frightened to death when she saw the document, and felt as if unawares they must have butted up against the British Constitution, but Owen explained that it was only a little legal firework, which meant that there might be some trouble later.

‘Well, at any rate,’ said Frank, ’it means that in eight days it will all be over.’

Owen laughed heartily at the remark.

‘It means,’ said he, ’that in eight days we must promise that at some future date we will begin to make preparations for something to happen in the future.  That is about the meaning of it.  All you can do now is to be perfectly philosophic, and leave the rest to me.’