But I thought it best to encourage him in any project of continuous
exertion, and only advised him to be quite sure that his mind was made up now.
    »My dear Minerva,« said Richard, »I am as steady as you are. I made a
mistake; we are all liable to mistakes; I won't do so any more, and I'll become
such a lawyer as is not often seen. That is, you know,« said Richard, relapsing
into doubt, »if it really is worth while, after all, to make such a disturbance
about nothing particular!«
    This led to our saying again, with a great deal of gravity, all that we had
said already, and to our coming to much the same conclusion afterwards. But, we
so strongly advised Richard to be frank and open with Mr. Jarndyce, without a
moment's delay; and his disposition was naturally so opposed to concealment;
that he sought him out at once (taking us with him), and made a full avowal.
»Rick,« said my guardian, after hearing him attentively, »we can retreat with
honour, and we will. But we must be careful - for our cousin's sake, Rick, for
our cousin's sake - that we make no more such mistakes. Therefore, in the matter
of the law, we will have a good trial before we decide. We will look before we
leap, and take plenty of time about it.«
    Richard's energy was of such ah impatient and fitful kind, that he would
have liked nothing better than to have gone to Mr. Kenge's office in that hour,
and to have entered into articles with him on the spot. Submitting, however,
with a good grace to the caution that we had shown to be so necessary, he
contented himself with sitting down among us in his lightest spirits, and
talking as if his one unvarying purpose in life from childhood had been that one
which now held possession of him. My guardian was very kind and cordial with
him, but rather grave; enough so to cause Ada, when he had departed and we were
going up-stairs to bed, to say:
    »Cousin John, I hope you don't think the worse of Richard?«
    »No, my love,« said he.
    »Because it was very natural that Richard should be mistaken in such a
difficult case. It is not uncommon.«
    »No, no, my love,« said he. »Don't