threat took away Miss Plympton's last hope, and reduced her to a state
of dejection and bewilderment; for when, she sent that threatening
message, it was not because she had really any fixed design of carrying
it into execution, but rather because the name of Sir Lionel Dudleigh
seemed to her to be one which might overawe the mind of Wiggins. She
thought that by reminding Wiggins of the existence of this powerful
relative, and by threatening an instant appeal to him, she would be able
to terrify him into releasing Edith. But his cool answer destroyed this
hope. She felt puzzled at his assertion that he was not breaking any
law, when he himself must know well that such a thing as the
imprisonment of a free subject is a crime of the most serious character;
but she felt even more puzzled at his reference to Sir Lionel. Her own
connection and association with the aristocracy had never destroyed that
deep unswerving reverence for them with which she had set out in life;
and to find Wiggins treating the mention of Sir Lionel with such cool
indifference was to her an incomprehensible thing. But there was nothing
more for her to do at this place, and feeling the necessity of immediate
action, she at once drove back to the inn.

Arriving here, she hoped that her prompt departure might frighten
Wiggins, and lead to a change in his decision, and she concluded to
remain that evening and that night, so as to give him time for
repentance.

Nothing was left now but to devise some plan of action. First of all,
she made inquiries of the landlord about Wiggins. That personage could
tell her very little about him. According to him, Mr. Wiggins was a
lawyer from Liverpool, who had been intrusted with the management of the
Dalton estate for the past ten years. He was a very quiet man, devoted
to his business, and until latterly had never been at Dalton oftener or