battle. We had written to Colonel Morris, applying for one quarter's
rent of River Hall. A disreputable blackguard of a solicitor would have
served him with a writ; but we were eminently respectable: not at the
bidding of her most gracious Majesty, whose name we invoked on many and
many of our papers, would Mr. Craven have dispensed with the
preliminary letter; and I feel bound to say I follow in his footsteps
in that respect.

To this notice, Colonel Morris replied, referring us to his solicitors.

We wrote to them, eliciting a reply to the effect that they would
receive service of a writ. We served that writ, and then, as Colonel
Morris intended to fight, instructed counsel.

Meanwhile the "Uninhabited House," and the furniture it contained, was,
as Mr. Taylor tersely expressed the matter, "Going to the devil."

We could not help that, however--war was put upon us, and go to war we
felt we must.

Which was all extremely hard upon Mr. Craven. To my knowledge, he had
already, in three months, advanced thirty pounds to Miss Blake, besides
allowing her to get into his debt for counsel's fees, and costs out of
pocket, and cab hire, and Heaven knows what besides--with a
problematical result also. Colonel Morris' solicitors were sparing no
expenses to crush us. Clearly they, in a blessed vision, beheld an
enormous bill, paid without difficulty or question. Fifty guineas here
or there did not signify to their client, whilst to us--well, really,
let a lawyer be as kind and disinterested as he will, fifty guineas
disbursed upon the suit of an utterly insolvent, or persistently