“Very unwise! You’ll have difficulty getting the divorce. But in an exceptional case, possibly--anyhow, we’ll make a move to-morrow, under the advice of Sir Edward, of course. We’ll be first in the field, at any rate. So far as I can see just now, we shall enter our case at once and trust to have it heard early in the Michaelmas sittings.” “What, not before October?” cried Jack. “Most likely November, with luck, but probably December,” replied Mr. Liscomb with the complacency of a lawyer for whom time means money. “You may rely on our losing no time. By the way, has the man anything to gain by holding on to the lady--I mean, of course, something in addition to the companionship of the lady?” “Her father is well off--a wealthy farmer,” said Jack. “Heavens! this is indeed an exceptional case--a wealthy farmer nowadays! And you have reason to believe that if she went to the custody of her father he would hand her over to the man?” “He would do his best in that way--he would not succeed, because his daughter is stronger than he is; but he would only force her to run back to me.” “I should have thought that the old man would kick him out of his house--a blackguard who was fool enough to get caught. But I’ve had experience of fathers--mostly Scotch--who believe so desperately in the sacredness of the marriage bond that they would force a woman to live with the man she has married even though he has just returned from penal servitude for trying to murder her.” “So far as I can gather from my wife, her father is something like that.” “My wife!” murmured Mr. Liscomb, smiling very gently, when his client had gone away. “My wife!” CHAPTER XXIX Jack gave what he considered to be an adequate account to Priscilla of his interview with Mr. Liscomb. He did not, however, think it necessary to tell her what that gentleman had said respecting the wisdom of their separating until the case or cases should be heard, nor did he do more than hint at the difficulties, which Mr. Liscomb had rather more than hinted at, in the way of proving the profligacy of Marcus Blaydon. But he thought it well to prepare her for the inevitable law’s delay; and he was gratified at the sensible way she received the information that three months would probably elapse before the case could come on for hearing. “It seems a long time, Jack,” she said. “But I don’t think that it would be possible for us to have everything ready to go before the judge much sooner. I have been thinking over the whole matter while you have been away, and I see clearly, I think, that we shall have trouble in proving that he went away straight from the gaol to that woman of your surmise. How are we to get hold of Captain Lyman? and when we do get in touch with him, how are we to get him to tell us all that he knows?” “Yes, all that will take time,” said Jack. “The evidence on this point may help us in the nullity suit, and in the divorce suit it would, of course, be absolutely indispensable.”