is he?"

"That's Sir Abraham's opinion; but any scent almost would be a wrong
scent. Sir Abraham thinks that if they'd taken the corporation, or
the chapter, we could have baffled them. The bishop, he thinks, would
be the surest shot; but even there we could plead that the bishop is
only a visitor, and that he has never made himself a consenting party
to the performance of other duties."

"That's quite clear," said the archdeacon.

"Not quite so clear," said the other. "You see the will says, 'My
lord, the bishop, being graciously pleased to see that due justice
be done.' Now, it may be a question whether, in accepting and
administering the patronage, your father has not accepted also the
other duties assigned. It is doubtful, however; but even if they hit
that nail,--and they are far off from that yet,--the point is so nice,
as Sir Abraham says, that you would force them into fifteen thousand
pounds' cost before they could bring it to an issue! and where's that
sum of money to come from?"

The archdeacon rubbed his hands with delight; he had never doubted the
justice of his case, but he had begun to have some dread of unjust
success on the part of his enemies. It was delightful to him thus to
hear that their cause was surrounded with such rocks and shoals; such
causes of shipwreck unseen by the landsman's eye, but visible enough
to the keen eyes of practical law mariners. How wrong his wife was to
wish that Bold should marry Eleanor! Bold! why, if he should be ass
enough to persevere, he would be a beggar before he knew whom he was
at law with!