suppose. He is notoriously a lawyer, and nothing but a lawyer. If
you tried to move him to pity you, he would say, 'Madam, I am
doing my duty to my client'; and he would ring his bell and have
you shown out. Yes! even if he saw you crushed and crying at his
feet."

Mrs. Presty interfered for the first time.

"In your place, Catherine," she said, "I would put my foot down
on that man and crush _him_. Consent to the Divorce, and you may
do it."

Mrs. Linley lay prostrate in her chair. The excitement which had
sustained her thus far seemed to have sunk with the sinking of
her last hope. Pale, exhausted, yielding to hard necessity, she
looked up when her mother said, "Consent to the Divorce," and
answered, "I have consented."

"And trust me," Mr. Sarrazin said fervently, "to see that Justice
is done, and to protect you in the meanwhile."

Mrs. Presty added her tribute of consolation.

"After all," she asked, "what is there to terrify you in the
prospect of a Divorce? You won't hear what people say about
it--for we see no society now. And, as for the newspapers, keep
them out of the house."

Mrs. Linley answered with a momentary revival of energy