“What are they doing to-day, Mr. Herder?” said Elizabeth.

“It is the cause of my brother-in-law, Jean Lansing, against Mr. Ryle, —­ he thinks that Mr. Ryle has got some of his money, and I think so too, and so Winthrop thinks; but nobody knows, except Mr. Ryle —­ he knows all of it.  Winthrop has been asking some questions about it, to Mr. Ryle and Mr. Brick” —­

“When?”

“O a little while ago —­ a few weeks; —­ and they say no, —­ they do not choose to make answer to his questions.  Now Winthrop is going to see if the Chancellor will not make that they must tell what he wants to know; and Mr. Brick will fight so hard as he can not to tell.  But Winthrop will get what he wants.”

“How do you know, Mr. Herder?”

“He does, always.”

“What does he want, Mr. Herder?” said Rose.

“It is my brother-in-law’s business,” said the naturalist.  “He wants to know if Mr. Ryle have not got a good deal of his money someveres; and Mr. Ryle, he does not want to say nozing about it; and Winthrop and Mr. Brick, they fight; and the Chancellor he says, ’Mr. Landholm, you have the right; Mr Brick, you do what he tell you.’”

“Then why isn’t the cause ended?” said Elizabeth.

“Because we have not found out all yet; we are pushing them, Mr. Ryle and Mr. Brick, leetle by leetle, into the corner; and when we get ’em into the corner, then they will have to pay us to get out.”

“You seem very sure about it, Mr. Herder,” said Rose.

“I do not know,” said the naturalist.  “I am not much afraid.  My friend Winthrop —­ he knows what he is doing.”

And to that gentleman the party presently gave their attention; as also did the sturdy strong face of Mr. Justice the Chancellor, and the extremely different physiognomy of Mr. Dustus Brick.

Winthrop and Mr. Brick spoke alternately; and as this was the case on each point, or question, —­ as Mr. Herder called them, —­ and as one at least of the speakers was particularly clear and happy in setting forth his meaning, the listeners were kept from weariness and rewarded, those of them that had minds for it, with some intellectual pleasure.  It was pretty much on this occasion as Mr. Herder had given the general course of the suit to be; after every opening of a matter on Winthrop’s part, the Chancellor would say, very curtly,

“I allow that exception!  Mr. Brick, what have you got to say?” —­

Mr. Brick generally had a good deal to say.  He seemed to multiply his defences in proportion to the little he had to defend; in strong contrast to his antagonist’s short, nervous, home-thrust arguments.  The Court generally seemed tired with Mr. Brick.

“Oh that man! —­ I wish he would stop!” said Rose.

Elizabeth, who for the most part was as still as a mouse, glanced round at these words, one of her few and rare secondings of anything said by her cousin.  She did not know that her glance shewed cheeks of fire, and eyes all the power of which seemed to be in full life.