Poor soul!' he said, 'she lies between life and death
herself: and I come here in an agony of fear, but I come for justice;
the man of straw, who offers bail, is furnished with the money by those
who stimulated the outrage. Defeat that fraud, and teach these cowards
who war on defenseless ladies that there is humanity and justice and
law in the land.' Then Oldfield tried to answer him with his hems and
his haws; but Bassett turned on him like a giant, and swept him away."
"Poor woman!"
"Ah! that is true: I am afraid I have thought too little of her. But
you suffer, and so must she. It is the most terrible feud; one would
think this was Corsica instead of England, only the fighting is not
done with daggers. But, after this, pray lean no more on that Oldfield.
We were all carried away at first; but, now I think of it, Bassett must
have been in the court, and held back to make the climax. Oh, yes! it
was another surprise and another success. They are all sent to jail.
Superior generalship! If Wheeler had been our man, we should have had
eight wives crying for pity, each with one child in her arms, and
another holding on to her apron. Do, pray, Lady Bassett, dismiss that
Nullity."
"Oh, I cannot do that; he is Sir Charles's lawyer; but I have promised
you to seek advice elsewhere, and so I will.
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