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the conversation which had taken place after dinner at Noningsby with regard to the Masons Peregrine Orme took no part, but his silence had not arisen from any want of interest on the subject. He had been over to Hamworth that day on a very special mission regarding it, and as he was not inclined to speak of what he had then seen and done, he held his tongue altogether.

'I want you to do me a great favour,' Lucius had said to him, when the two were together in the breakfast-parlour of Noningsby; 'but I am afraid it will give you some trouble.'

'I sha'n't mind that, said Peregrine, 'if that's all.'

'You have heard of this row about Joseph Mason and my mother? It has been so talked of that I fear you must have heard it.'

'About the lawsuit? Oh yes. It has certainly been spoken of at The Cleeve.'

'Of course it has. All the world is talking of it. Now there is a man named Dockwrath in Hamworth—;' and then he went on to explain how it had reached him from various quarters that Mr. Dockwrath was accusing his mother of the crime of forgery; how he had endeavoured to persuade his mother to indict the man for libel; how his mother had pleaded to him with tears in her eyes that she found it impossible to go through such an ordeal; and how he, therefore, had resolved to go himself to Mr. Dockwrath. 'But,' said he, 'I must have some one with me, some gentleman whom I can trust, and therefore I have ridden over to ask you to accompany me as far as Hamworth.'

'I suppose he is not a man that you can kick,' said Peregrine.

'I am afraid not, said Lucius; 'he's over forty years old, and has dozens of children.'

'And then he is such a low beast,' said Peregrine.

'I have no idea of kicking him, but I think it would be wrong to allow him to go on saying these frightful things of my mother, without showing him that we are not afraid of him.' Upon this the two young men got on horseback, and riding into Hamworth, put their horses up at the inn.