Her presence in this neighbourhood makes the danger immediate." As he spoke, Sir Nathaniel's mouth hardened and his eyebrows came down till they met.

There was no doubting his concurrence in the resolution, or his readiness to help in carrying it out.

But he was an elderly man with much experience and knowledge of law and diplomacy.

It seemed to him to be a stern duty to prevent anything irrevocable taking place till it had been thought out and all was ready.

There were all sorts of legal cruxes to be thought out, not only regarding the taking of life, even of a monstrosity in human form, but also of property.