CHAPTER XV. MR. JEKYL'S OPINIONS.

litis." "Nina,howridiculous!"saidTom. "Ihavesaidmysay,"saidNina,assheroseandlefttheroom. "Verynatural,—finefeelings,butuninstructed,"saidMr.Jekyl. "Certainly,wepiousfolksknowatrickworthtwoofthat,don'twe?"saidTom."Isay,Jekyl,thissisterofmineisaprettyrapidlittlecase,Icantellyou,asyousawbythewayshecircumventedus,thismorning.Sheisquitecapableofupsettingthewholedish,unlesswegoaboutitimmediately.Yousee,herpetnigger,thisHarry,isthiswoman'sbrotherandifshegavehimtheword,he'dwriteatonce,andputheronthealarm.YouandIhadbetterstartoffto-morrow,beforethisHarrycomesback.Ibelieveheistobegoneafewdays.It'snomatterwhethersheconsentstothesuitornot.Shedon'tneedtoknowanythingaboutit." "Well,"saidJekyl,"Iadviseyoutogorighton,andhavethewomanandchildrensecured.It'saperfectlyfair,legalproceeding.Therehasbeenanevidentevasionofthelawofthestate,bymeansofwhichyourfamilyaredefraudedofanimmensesum.Atallevents,itwillbetriedinanopencourtofjustice,andshewillbeallowedtoappearbyhercounsel.It'saperfectlyplain,above-boardproceedingand,astheyoungladyhasshownsuchfinefeelings,there'sthebestreasontosupposethatthefateofthiswomanwouldbeasgoodinherhandsasinherown." Mr.JekylwasnotnowtalkingtoconvinceTomGordon,buthimselffor,spiteofhimself,Nina'squestionshadawakenedinhismindasufficientdegreeofmisgivingtomakeitnecessaryforhimtopassinreviewtheargumentsbywhichhegenerallysatisfiedhimself.Mr.Jekylwasatheologian,andamanofprinciple.Hismetaphysicaltalent,indeed,madehimapointofreferenceamonghisChristianbrethrenandhespentmuchofhisleisuretimeinreadingtheologicaltreatises.Hisfavoritesubjectofallwasthenatureoftruevirtueandthis,hehadfixedinhismind,consistedinaloveofthegreatestgood.Accordingtohistheology,rightconsistedincreatingthegreatestamountofhappinessandeverycreaturehadrightstobehappyinproportiontohiscapacityofenjoymentorbeing.Hewhosecapacitywastenpoundshadarighttoplacehisownhappinessbeforethatofhimwhohadfive,because,inthatway,fivepoundsmoreofhappinesswouldexistinthegeneralwhole.HeconsideredtherightoftheCreat