"Not in imprisoning me?"
"Who's to prove it was they? You do not know who took you away from Falmouth, and naturally they will not witness against themselves."
"And what about Miss Penryn?" I asked.
"There is no case there, Jasper Pennington. Richard Tresidder is the young woman's guardian until she is twenty one, and as far as I can see, you can prove nothing illegal against him. Indeed, he has a case against you, for you have forcibly taken her from those under whose protection she had been placed by his and her own consent. Mind, I do not think he will proceed against you publicly, because he would not care for the matter to be discussed openly, but if you sought to prosecute, he would be able to answer all your accusations easily."
"But what about him saying that she was dead? What of him taking possession of Trevose? What of the priest's trying to destroy her identity?"
"Trust Tresidder and the priest to get out of that. Besides, for that matter, we must remember that the man is her guardian still, that he has the right to place her practically where he will. If he were to come to the inn where she is staying and demand that she shall go with him, he would have the law on his side."
I was silent, for I saw that he was speaking the truth.
"Your plan, as far as I can see, is to place her in seclusion and safety until she is twenty-one, then she can claim her own. Meanwhile, my lad, you keep out of sight, for you are not safe. If I were you I would leave the county, while the further Miss Penryn is removed from the Tresidders the better, for no doubt you are right in all your surmises about them."
His words made me for the moment feel helpless, and I cursed the family who had been my enemies.
"There is no need of all that, Jasper, my lad," said the lawyer, grimly. "Neither Richard Tresidder nor his son are much worse than many others who might be in their place. It was natural for the woman who married your grandfather to seek to do well for her son; it was natural, too, that they should seek to maintain the position which they secured. You are the one man they have to fear, consequently it is reasonable to suppose that they should protect themselves against you. It is generally understood that Tresidder is in a sad way financially; he is therefore trying, and naturally, too, to save himself through his ward. If she had fallen in love with Nick, all would have been well with him; but she hasn't. Instead, she falls in love with you. Oh, you needn't blush, my lad, I can see how things stand. Very well; Tresidder sees that if she marries you, you will be owner of Trevose, and will thus be able, under your grandfather's curious will, to oust him from Pennington. He is naturally fighting for his hand; ay, and will to the end. You may call him a villain if you like, but his course is almost natural. The fact is, the old lady was, and is, ambitious for her family, and all of them love money, dearly love it. This explains their actions. Mark, I will admit that the whole lot of them have stained their honour to get their way, but not more than most others would have done had they been similarly circumstanced."