Page:Orley Farm (Serial Volume 2).pdf/40

58 the conversation. Mr. Mason was not at his ease, though all idea of affecting any reserve before the attorney had left him. He was thinking how best he might confound and destroy the woman who had robbed him for so many years; who had defied him, got the better of him, and put him to terrible cost; who had vexed his spirit through his whole life, deprived him of content, and had been to him as a thorn ever present in a festering sore. He had always believed that she had defrauded him, but this belief had been qualified by the unbelief of others. It might have been, he had half thought, that the old man had signed the codicil in his dotage, having been cheated and bullied into it by the woman. There had been no day in her life on which he would not have ruined her, had it been in his power to do so. But now—now, new and grander ideas were breaking in upon his mind. Could it be possible that he might live to see her, not merely deprived of her ill-gained money, but standing in the dock as a felon to receive sentence for her terrible misdeeds? If that might be so, would he not receive great compensation for all that he had suffered? Would it not be sweet to his sense of justice that both of them should thus at last have their own? He did not even yet understand all that Mr. Dockwrath suspected. He did not fully perceive why the woman was supposed to have chosen as the date of her forgery, the date of that other genuine deed. But he did understand, he did perceive—at least so he thought,—that new and perhaps conclusive evidence of her villainy was at last within his reach.

‘And what shall we do now, Mr. Dockwrath?’ he said at last.

‘Well; am I to understand that you do me the honour of asking my advice upon that question as being your lawyer?’

This question immediately brought Mr. Mason back to business that he did understand. ‘A man in my position cannot very well change his legal advisers at a moment's notice. You must be very well aware of that, Mr. Dockwrath. Messrs. Round and Crook—―’

‘Messrs. Round and Crook, sir, have neglected your business in a most shameful manner. Let me tell you that, sir.’

‘Well; that’s as may be. I'll tell you what I'll do, Mr. Dockwrath; I'll think over this matter in quiet, and then I'll come up to town. Perhaps when there I may expect the honour of a further visit from you.’

‘And you won't mention the matter to Round and Crook?’

‘I can’t undertake to say that, Mr. Dockwrath. I think it will perhaps be better that I should mention it, and then see you afterwards.’

‘And how about my expenses down here?’

Just at this moment there came a light tap at the study door, and before the master of the house could give or withhold permission