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Rh that, with relation to the Bush, nothing could interest a Judge so much as the manner of administering the law there, which she knew something about. Nor was the subject unpromising or unsafe: it was only her way of leading up to it that was open to criticism.

'I suppose, Sir James,' she began, 'you have lots of trying to do?'

'Trying?' said the Judge, looking up from his soup; for the Bride had determined not to be behindhand in keeping her promise, and had opened the attack thus early.

'As if he were a tailor!' thought Granville. 'Trials, sir,' he suggested suavely. He was sitting next Gladys, who was on the Judge's right.

'Ah, trials!' said the Judge with a faint—a very faint—smile. 'Oh, yes—a great number.'

A sudden thought struck Gladys. She became the interested instead of the interesting party. She forgot the Bush, and stared at her father-in-law in sudden awe.

'Are there many murder trials among them, Sir James?'

By the deliberate manner with which he went on with his soup, the Judge apparently did not hear the question. But Lady Bligh