"How do you do, Quest?" said Edward Cossey, nodding somewhat coldly to
the lawyer and sitting down. "Any business?"
"Well, yes, Mr. Cossey," answered the lawyer, rising respectfully,
"there is some business, some very serious business."
"Indeed," said Edward indifferently, "what is it?"
"Well, it is this, the house has ordered a foreclosure on the Honham
Castle estates--at least it comes to that----"
On hearing this intelligence Edward Cossey's whole demeanour underwent
the most startling transformation--his languor vanished, his eye
brightened, and his form became instinct with active life and beauty.
"What the deuce," he said, and then paused. "I won't have it," he went
on, jumping up, "I won't have it. I am not particularly fond of old de
la Molle, perhaps because he is not particularly fond of me," he added
rather drolly, "but it would be an infernal shame to break up that
family and sell the house over them. Why they would be ruined! And
then there's Ida--Miss de la Molle, I mean--what would become of her?
And the old place too. After being in the family for all these
centuries I suppose that it would be sold to some confounded counter-
skipper or some retired thief of a lawyer. It must be prevented at any
price--do you hear, Quest?"
The lawyer winced a little at his chief's contemptuous allusion, and
then remarked with a smile, "I had no idea that you were so
sentimental, Mr.
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