ics

Chapter XVIII

THE FELLOW OF DELICACY

madeMr. Stryver having up his mind to that

magnanimous bestowal of good fortune on the Doctor’s

daughter, resolved to make her happiness known to her

before he left town for the Long Vacation. After some mental

debating of the point, he came to the conclusion that it would be as

well to get all the preliminaries done with, and they could then

arrange at their leisure whether he should give her his hand a

week or two before Michaelmas Term, or in the little Christmas

vacation between it and Hilary.

As to the strength of his case, he had not a doubt about it, but

clearly saw his way to the verdict. Argued with the jury on

substantial worldly groundsthe only grounds ever worth taking

into accountit was a plain case, and had not a weak spot in it. He

called himself for the plaintiff, there was no getting over his

evidence, the counsel for the defendant threw up his brief, and the

jury did not even turn to consider. After trying it, Stryver, C.J.,

was satisfied that no plainer case could be.

Accordingly, Mr. Stryver inaugurated the Long Vacation with a

formal proposal to take Miss Manette to Vauxhall Gardens; that

failing, to Ranelagh; that unaccountably failing too, it behoved him

to present himself in Soho, and there declare his noble mind.

Towards Soho, therefore, Mr. Stry