Lady Arabella, be she woman or snake or devil, owned the ground she moved in, according to British law, and the law is jealous and swift to avenge wrongs done within its ken.

All such difficulties should be--must be--avoided for Mr.Salton's sake, for Adam's own sake, and, most of all, for Mimi Watford's sake.
Before he spoke again, Sir Nathaniel had made up his mind that he must try to postpone decisive action until the circumstances on which they depended--which, after all, were only problematical--should have been tested satisfactorily, one way or another.

When he did speak, Adam at first thought that his friend was wavering in his intention, or "funking" the responsibility.

However, his respect for Sir Nathaniel was so great that he would not act, or even come to a conclusion on a vital point, without his sanction.
He came close and whispered in his ear: "We will prepare our plans to combat and destroy this horrible menace, after we have cleared up some of the more baffling points.

Meanwhile, we must wait for the night--I hear my uncle's footsteps echoing down the hall." Sir Nathaniel nodded his approval..