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148 'You will be back to dinner?' said Lady Staveley.

'Oh yes, certainly.'

'And tell Mr. Mason,' said the judge, 'that if he will return with you we shall be delighted to see him.'

The errand which took Peregrine Orme off to Hamworth will be explained in the next chapter, but his going led to a discussion among the gentlemen after dinner as to the position in which Lady Mason was now placed. There was no longer any possibility of keeping the matter secret, seeing that Mr. Dockwrath had taken great care that every one in Hamworth should hear of it. He had openly declared that evidence would now be adduced to prove that Sir Joseph Mason's widow had herself forged the will, and had said to many people that Mr. Mason of Groby had determined to indict her for forgery. This had gone so far that Lucius had declared as openly that he would prosecute the attorney for a libel, and Dockwrath had sent him word that he was quite welcome to do so if he pleased.

'It is a scandalous state of things,' said Sir Peregrine, speaking with much enthusiasm, and no little temper, on the subject. 'Here is a question which was settled twenty years ago to the satisfaction of every one who knew anything of the case, and now it is brought up again that two men may wreak their vengeance on a poor widow. They are not men; they are brutes.'

'But why does she not bring an action against this attorney?' said young Staveley.

'Such actions do not easily lie,' said his father. 'It may be quite true that Dockwrath may have said all manner of evil things against this lady, and yet it may be very difficult to obtain evidence of a libel. It seems to me from what I have heard that the man himself wishes such an action to be brought.'

'And think of the state of poor Lady Mason!' said Mr. Furnival. 'Conceive the misery which it would occasion her if she were dragged forward to give evidence on such a matter!'

'I believe it would kill her,' said Sir Peregrine.

'The best means of assisting her would be to give her some countenance,' said the judge; 'and from all that I can hear of her, she deserves it.'

'She does deserve it,' said Sir Peregrine, 'and she shall have it. The people at Hamworth shall see at any rate that my daughter regards her as a fit associate. I am happy to say that she is coming to The Cleeve on my return home, and that she will remain there till after Christmas.'

'It is a very singular case,' said Felix Graham, who had been thinking over the position of the lady hitherto in silence.

'Indeed it is,' said the judge; 'and it shows how careful men should be in all matters relating to their wills. The will and the