"That's the usual course—the proper way of doing the thing."
"It may be proper; it sounds very dull, Mr. Stillford. What if he does try to use the path to-morrow—'in order to bathe' as he's good enough to tell me?"
"If you're right about the path, then you've the right to stop him," Stillford answered rather reluctantly. "If you do stop him, that, of course, raises the question in a concrete form. You will offer a formal resistance. He will make a formal protest. Then the lawyers step in."
"We always end with the lawyers—and my lawyer doesn't seem sure I'm right!"
"Well, I'm not sure," said Stillford bluntly. "It's impossible to be sure at this stage of the case."
"For all I see, he may use my path to-morrow!" The Marchesa was justifying her boast that she could stick to a point.
"Now that you've lodged your objection, that won't matter much legally."
"It will annoy me intensely," the Marchesa complained.
"Then we'll stop him," declared Colonel Wenman valorously.
"Politely—but firmly," added Captain Irons.