“Ha!” Mr Murray crossed his arms and looked triumphantly at Childermass with his one good eye. “You think I am in desperate need of the money – but, you see, I am not. Offers of loans from Mr Strange’s friends have been arriving all evening. I believe I might set up a whole new business if I chose! But I desire you will take a message to Mr Norrell. It is this. He will pay in the end – but upon our terms, not his. We intend to make him pay for the new edition. He shall pay for the advertisements for his rival’s book. That will give him greater pain than any thing else could, I believe.”

“Oh, indeed! If it ever happens,” said Childermass, drily. He turned towards the door. Then he paused and, staring for a moment at the carpet, seemed to debate something within himself. “I will tell you this,” he said. “The book is not destroyed however it may seem at present. I have dealt my cards and asked them if there are any copies left. It seems that two remain. Strange has one and Norrell the other.”

* * *

For the next month London talked of little else but the astonishing thing that Mr Norrell had done, but as to whether it were the wickedness of Strange’s book or the spitefulness of Mr Norrell which was most to blame, London was divided. People who had bought copies were furious at the loss of their books and Mr Norrell did not help matters by sending his servants to their houses with a guinea (the cost of the book) and the letter in which he explained his reasons for making their books disappear. A great many people found themselves more insulted than ever and some of them immediately summoned their attorneys to begin proceedings against Mr Norrell.⁵

In September the Ministers returned from the country to London and naturally Mr Norrell’s extraordinary actions formed one of the main topics of conversation at their first meeting.

“When we first employed Mr Norrell to do magic on our behalf,” said one, “we had no idea of permitting him to intrude his spells into people’s houses and alter their possessions. In some ways it is a pity that we do not have that magical court he is always proposing. What is it called?”

“The Cinque Dragownes,” said Sir Walter Pole.

“I presume he must be guilty of some magical crime or other?”

“Oh, certainly! But I have not the least idea what. John Childermass probably knows, but I very much doubt that he would tell us.”

“It does not matter. There are several suits against him in the common courts for theft.”

“Theft!” said another Minister in surprize. “I find it very shocking that a man who has done the country such service should be prosecuted for such a low crime!”

“Why?” asked the first. “He has brought it upon himself.”

“The problem is,” said Sir Walter, “that the moment he is asked to defend himself he will respond by saying something about the nature of English magic. And no one is competent to argue that subject except Strange. I think we must be patient. I think we must wait until Strange comes back.”