His first visit was to the lawyer, from whom, however, he could procure
nothing, besides being compelled, without possibility of escape, to
listen to a long string of reproaches against his nephew.
"I could, and would have saved him, Colonel Colleton, if the power were
in mortal," was the self-sufficient speech of the little man; "but he
would not--he broke in upon me when the very threshold was to be passed,
and just as I was upon it. Things were in a fair train, and all might
have gone well but for his boyish interruption. I would have come over
the jury with a settler. I would have made out a case, sir, for their
consideration, which every man of them would have believed he himself
saw. I would have shown your nephew, sir, riding down the narrow trace,
like a peaceable gentleman; anon, sir, you should have seen Forrester
coming along full tilt after him. Forrester should have cried out with a
whoop and a right royal oath; then Mr. Colleton would have heard him,
and turned round to receive him.
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