"
He went home full of thought, restored the sisters to something like
cheerfulness by assuring them that the situation was no worse, and
possibly rather better, and spent the rest of the evening in his study,
silently working things out. Viner, by the time he went to bed, had
evolved an idea, and it was still developing and growing stronger when he
set out next morning to accompany Mr. Pawle to Lord Ellingham's
solicitors.
CHAPTER XVII
THE CLAIMANT
Carless and Driver practised their profession of the law in one of the
old houses on the south side of Lincoln's Inn Fields--a house so old that
it immediately turned Viner's thought to what he had read of the days
wherein Inigo Jones exercised his art up the stately frontages, and duels
were fought in the gardens which London children now sport in. In one of
these houses lived Blackstone; in another Erskine; one ancient roof once
sheltered John Milton; another heard the laughter of Nell Gwynn; up the
panelled staircase which Mr. Pawle and his companion were presently
conducted, the feet of many generations had trod. And the room into which
they were duly conducted was so old-world in appearance with its oaken
walls and carving and old-fashioned furniture that nothing but the fact
that its occupants wore twentieth century garments would have convinced
Viner that he had not been suddenly thrown back to the days of Queen Anne.
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