“No,” said he. “I shouldn’t like that done again. It’s apt to create prejudice against you if the case comes to court.”
“I fancy I should only need to inform the judge how the child is living—sleeping in a servant’s room—”
He shook his head.
“No,” he said. “You never can tell how those things will go. I advise you to compromise with her—to leave the child in her custody six months—”
“With a servant? When she can have every possible advantage with her father? I will not do it. Let the case go to court. I fancy—”
“But you see,” he explained, “after all, the mother is supporting the child more or less decently; and as far as I can ascertain, there’s nothing against her character—no evidence to prove her an unfit guardian.”
“Something could be found,” said Mrs. Tracy.
The lawyer understood her very well, but he did not care to go so far. That sort of thing was done, of course, but not by him.
“I’m going to save the child,” said she. “If you don’t care to help me, I’ll do it alone![Pg 57]”
He quite believed that she would, and he felt a small twinge of pity for Maisie.