“Twenty thousand pounds is rather a large sum to be given up by the lady’s friends at two days’ notice,” I said.

“Very true,” replied Mr. Merriman, looking down thoughtfully at his boots.  “Properly put, sir—­most properly put!”

“A compromise, recognising the interests of the lady’s family as well as the interests of the husband, might not perhaps have frightened my client quite so much,” I went on.  “Come, come! this contingency resolves itself into a matter of bargaining after all.  What is the least you will take?”

“The least we will take,” said Mr. Merriman, “is nineteen-thousand-nine-hundred-and-ninety-nine-pou
nds-nineteen-shillings-and-elevenpence-three-farthings.  Ha! ha! ha!  Excuse me, Mr. Gilmore.  I must have my little joke.”

“Little enough,” I remarked.  “The joke is just worth the odd farthing it was made for.”

Mr. Merriman was delighted.  He laughed over my retort till the room rang again.  I was not half so good-humoured on my side; I came back to business, and closed the interview.

“This is Friday,” I said.  “Give us till Tuesday next for our final answer.”

“By all means,” replied Mr. Merriman.  “Longer, my dear sir, if you like.”  He took up his hat to go, and then addressed me again.  “By the way,” he said, “your clients in Cumberland have not heard anything more of the woman who wrote the anonymous letter, have they?”

“Nothing more,” I answered.  “Have you found no trace of her?”

“Not yet,” said my legal friend.  “But we don’t despair.  Sir Percival has his suspicions that Somebody is keeping her in hiding, and we are having that Somebody watched.”

“You mean the old woman who was with her in Cumberland,” I said.

“Quite another party, sir,” answered Mr. Merriman.  “We don’t happen to have laid hands on the old woman yet.  Our Somebody is a man.  We have got him close under our eye here in London, and we strongly suspect he had something to do with helping her in the first instance to escape from the Asylum.  Sir Percival wanted to question him at once, but I said, ’No.  Questioning him will only put him on his guard—­watch him, and wait.’  We shall see what happens.  A dangerous woman to be at large, Mr. Gilmore; nobody knows what she may do next.  I wish you good-morning, sir.  On Tuesday next I shall hope for the pleasure of hearing from you.”  He smiled amiably and went out.

My mind had been rather absent during the latter part of the conversation with my legal friend.  I was so anxious about the matter of the settlement that I had little attention to give to any other subject, and the moment I was left alone again I began to think over what my next proceeding ought to be.