It was useless for him to remind
her that hitherto she had never wanted anything for herself or her
children. She was resolved that everything was going to the dogs
because Goarly's case had been refused. "And what will all those
sporting men do for you?" she repeated. "I hate the very name of a
gentleman;--so I do. I wish Goarly had killed all the foxes in the
county. Nasty vermin! What good are the likes of them?"
Nickem, the senior clerk, was at first made almost as unhappy as
Mrs. Masters by the weak decision to which his employer had come,
and had in the first flush of his anger resolved to leave the
office. He was sure that the case was one which would just have
suited him. He would have got up the evidence as to the fertility
of the land, the enormous promise of crop, and the ultimate
absolute barrenness, to a marvel. He would have proved clouds of
pheasants. And then Goarly's humble position, futile industry, and
general poverty might have been contrasted beautifully with Lord
Rufford's wealth, idleness, and devotion to sport. Anything above
the 7s. 6d. an acre obtained against the lord would have been a
triumph, and he thought that if the thing had been well managed,
they might probably have got 15s. And then, in such a case, Lord
Rufford could hardly have taxed the costs. It was really suicide
for an attorney to throw away business so excellent as this.
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