Page:Barr--Stranleighs millions.djvu/156

144 The two farmers overtook Lord Stranleigh, and he shook hands with them.

"We're tenants of yours," said Bennet, "but that isn't the reason we voted for you. This thing is simply a damned piece of local jealousy. Muddlebury is the cliquiest town in all England."

"Oh, every town is that, Mr. Bennet," said Stranleigh.

"Why, my lord, if you'd given the designing of those cottages to William Cloisters, you'd never have heard a word about the plans not being submitted."

"You see, I was so unfortunate as not to know anything about Mr. Cloisters."

"You are surely not going to let it rest here, are you, sir? You'll appeal?"

"I don't exactly know at the moment what I shall do, except that I mean to spend ten or twelve minutes thinking about it."

"You have a lawyer, Lord Stranleigh?"

"Yes; I employ nearly a dozen of them, but if one of his Majesty's judges couldn't prevail against this sort of tyranny how can I hope to be successful?"

"Now, if I were you, my lord," said Bennet, very confidentially, "I'd look in on Jacob Sneerly."

"Who is he?"

"He's the other lawyer in this town, and the