“Pray be seated — here, near me. Don’t distress yourself; it’s of no use. Mrs Rachael, I needn’t inform you who were acquainted with the late Miss Barbary’s affairs, that her means die with her; and that this young lady, now her aunt is dead—”

“My aunt, sir!”

“It is really of no use carrying on a deception when no object is to be gained by it,” said Mr Kenge, smoothly. “Aunt in fact, though not in law. Don’t distress yourself! Don’t weep! Don’t tremble! Mrs Rachael, our young friend has no doubt heard of — the — a — Jarndyce and Jarndyce.”

“Never,” said Mrs Rachael.

“Is it possible,” pursued Mr Kenge, putting up his eye-glasses, “that our young friend — I beg you won’t distress yourself! — never heard of Jarndyce and Jarndyce!”

I shook my head, wondering even what it was.

“Not of Jarndyce and Jarndyce?” said Mr Kenge, looking over his glasses at me, and softly turning the case about and about, as if he were petting something. “Not of one of the greatest Chancery suits known? Not of Jarndyce and Jarndyce — the — a — in itself a monument of Chancery practice? In which (I would say) every difficulty, every contingency, every masterly fiction, every form of procedure known in that court, is represented over and over again? It is a cause that could not exist, out of this free and great country. I should say that the aggregate of costs in Jarndyce and Jarndyce, Mrs Rachael;” I was afraid he addressed himself to her, because I appeared inattentive; “amounts at the present hour to from SIX-ty to SEVEN-ty THOUSAND POUNDS!” said Mr Kenge, leaning back in his chair.

I felt very ignorant, but what could I do? I was so entirely unacquainted with the subject, that I understood nothing about it even then.

“And she really never heard of the cause!” said Mr Kenge. “Surprising!”

“Miss Barbary, sir,” returned Mrs Rachael, “who is now among the Seraphim—”

(“I hope so, I am sure,” said Mr Kenge, politely.)

“ — Wished Esther only to know what would be serviceable to her. And she knows, from any teaching she has had here, nothing more.”

“Well!” said Mr Kenge. “Upon the whole, very proper. Now to the point,” addressing me. “Miss Barbary, your sole relation (in fact that is; for I am bound to observe that in law you had none), being deceased and it naturally not being to be expected that Mrs Rachael—”

“O dear no!” said Mrs Rachael, quickly.

“Quite so,” assented Mr Kenge; — “that Mrs Rachael should charge herself with your maintenance and support (I beg you won’t distress yourself), you are in a position to receive the renewal of an offer which I was instructed to make to Miss Barbary some two years ago, and which, though rejected then, was understood to be renewable under the lamentable circumstances that have since occurred. Now, if I avow that I represent, in Jarndyce and Jarndyce and otherwise, a highly humane, but at the same time singular man, shall I compromise myself by any stretch of my professional caution?” said Mr Kenge, leaning back in his chair again, and looking calmly at us both.

He appeared to enjoy beyond everything the sound of his own voice. I couldn’t wonder at that, for it was mellow and full and gave great importance to every word he uttered. He listened to himself with obvious satisfaction, and sometimes gently beat time to his own music with his head, or rounded a sentence