And she made herself indispensable to him in becoming the medium of communication between himself and those with whom he was offended. He had sufficient of the gentleman in him to shrink from reprimanding his servants and haggling with a dealer; he was miserly, but too much of a gentleman to show it openly. He made Mrs. Veale cut down expenses, watch against waste, and economise in small matters. How is it that women are able to lay hold of and lead men by their noses as easily as they take up and turn about a teapot by its handle? Is it that their hands are fashioned for the purpose, and men’s noses are fitted by Nature for their hands? Although the nose of Taverner Langford was Roman, and expressive of character and individuality, Mrs. Veale held him by it; and he followed with the docility of a colt caught and led by the forelock. It was a cause of great disappointment to Hillary that Taverner was in a position to give him annoyance, whereas he was unable to retaliate. Langford had called in the money he had advanced to his brother-in-law; it must be repaid within three months. Langford had threatened the father and son with disinheritance. On the other side, he was powerless to punish Langford. The consciousness of this was a distress to Nanspian, and occasioned the irritability of temper we have mentioned. Unable to endure the humiliation of being hurt without being able to return the blow, he went into the office of the lawyer Physick, at Okehampton. ’Mr. Physick,’ said he, ’I want to be thundering disagreeable.’ ’By all means, Mr. Nanspian. Very right and proper.’ ’I’m going to be very offensive.’ ’To be sure. You have occasion, no question.’ ’I want a summons made out against Mrs. Veale, that is, the housekeeper of Taverner Langford.’ ’The deuce you do!’ exclaimed the lawyer, starting into an erect position on his seat. ’The housekeeper of your brother-in-law!’ ’The same. I want to hit him through her.’ ’Why, Lord bless me! What has come to pass? I thought you and Mr. Langford were on the best of terms.’ ’Then, sir, you thought wrong. We are no longer friends; we do not speak.’ ’What has occasioned this?’ Nanspian looked down. He was ashamed to mention the red spider; so he made no reply. ’Well! and what is the summons to be made out for?’ ’For giving me a stroke of the apoplexy.’ ’I do not understand.’ ’You must know,’ said Hillary, lowering his voice, ’that I have a notion Mrs. Veale is a witch; and when Langford and I fell out she came meddling with her witchcraft. She came as a White Hare.’ ’As a what?’ ’As a White Hare,’ answered Hillary, drawing forth a kerchief and blowing his nose, and in the act of blowing fixing the lawyer over the top of it with his eyes, and saying through it, ’My Larry saw her.’ Mr. Physick uttered a sigh of disappointment, and said ironically, ’This is not a case for me. You must consult the White Witch in Exeter.’ ’Can you do nothing?’