They ran out to see what it was. Bassett, half suspecting, hung back; but Mary Gosport's keen eye detected him, and she held up the heir to him, with hate and triumph blazing in her face. He crept into his own house and sank into a chair foudroye. Wheeler, however, roused him to a necessary effort, and next day they took the Declaration to counsel, to settle their defense in due form. “What is this?” said the learned gentleman. “Three counts! Why, I advised you to discharge him at once.” “Yes,” said Wheeler, “and excellent advice it was. But my client--” “Preferred to go his own road. And now I am to cure the error I did what I could to prevent.” “I dare say, sir, it is not the first time in your experience.” “Not by a great many. Clients, in general, have a great contempt for the notion that prevention is better than cure.” “He can't hurt me,” said Bassett, impatiently. “He was separately examined by two doctors, and all the provisions of the statute exactly complied with.” “But that is no defense to this plaint. The statute forbids you to imprison an insane person without certain precautions; but it does not give you a right, under any circumstances, to imprison a sane man. That was decided in Butcher _v. _Butcher. The defense you rely on was pleaded as a second plea, and the plaintiff demurred to it directly. The question was argued before the full court, and the judges, led by the first lawyer of the age, decided unanimously that the provisions of the statute did not affect sane Englishmen and their rights under the common law. They ordered the plea to be struck off the record, and the case was reduced to a simple issue of sane or insane. Butcher _v._ Butcher governs all these cases. Can you prove him insane? If not, you had better compound on any terms. In Butcher's case the jury gave 3,000 pounds, and the plaintiff was a man of very inferior position to Sir Charles Bassett. Besides, the defendant, Butcher, had not persisted against evidence, as you have. They will award 5,000 pounds at least in this case.” He took down a volume of reports, and showed them the case he had cited; and, on reading the unanimous decision of the judges, and the learning by which they were supported, Wheeler said at once: “Mr. Bassett, we might as well try to knock down St. Paul's with our heads as to go against this decision.” They then settled to put in a single plea, that Sir Charles was insane at the time of his capture. This done, to gain time, Wheeler called on Sharpe, and, after several conferences, got the case compounded by an apology, a solemn retractation in writing, and the payment of four thousand pounds; his counsel assured him his client was very lucky to get off so cheap. Bassett paid the money, with the assistance of his wife's father: but it was a sickener; it broke his spirit, and even injured his health for some time.