He was utterly lost.

He respected Sir Austin's estates too much to believe for a moment he was listening to downright folly.

Yet how otherwise explain the fact of his excellent client being incomprehensible to him?
For a middle-aged gentleman, and one who has been in the habit of advising and managing, will rarely have a notion of accusing his understanding; and Mr.
Thompson had not the slightest notion of accusing his.

But the baronet's condescension in coming thus to him, and speaking on the subject nearest his heart, might well affect him, and he quickly settled the case in favour of both parties, pronouncing mentally that his honoured client had a meaning, and so deep it was, so subtle, that no wonder he experienced difficulty in giving it fitly significant words.
Sir Austin elaborated his theory of the Organism and the Mechanism, for his lawyer's edification.

At a recurrence of the word "healthy" Mr.
Thompson caught him up: "I apprehended you! Oh, I agree with you, Sir Austin! entirely! Allow me to ring for my son Ripton.