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 were together in the drawing-room. 'They have a very nice party at Noningsby.'

'Your boy will be happy, I'm sure,' said Lady Mason.

'And why not Lucius also?'

It was sweet in Lady Mason's ear to hear her son called by his Christian name. All these increasing signs of interest and intimacy were sweet, but especially any which signified some favour shown to her son. 'This trouble weighs heavy on him,' she replied, 'It is only natural that he should feel it.'

'Papa does not seem to think much of it,' said Mrs. Orme. 'If I were you, I would strive to forget it.'

'I do strive,' said the other; and then she took the hand which Mrs. Orme had stretched out to her, and that lady got up and kissed her.

'Dearest friend,' said Mrs. Orme, 'if we can comfort you we will.' And then they sobbed in each other's arms.

In the mean time Sir Peregrine was sitting alone, thinking. He sat thinking, with his glass of claret untouched by his side, and with the biscuit which he had taken lying untouched upon the table. As he sat he had raised one leg upon the other, placing his foot on his knee, and he held it there with his hand upon his instep. And so he sat without moving for some quarter of an hour, trying to use all his mind on the subject which occupied it. At last he roused himself, almost with a start, and leaving his chair, walked three or four times the length of the room. 'Why should I not? at last he said to himself, stopping suddenly and placing his hand upon the table. 'Why should I not, if it pleases me? It shall not injure him—nor her.' And then he walked again. 'But I will ask Edith,' he said, still speaking to himself. 'If she says that she disapproves of it, I will not do it.' And then he left the room, while the wine still remained untasted on the table.

On the day following Christmas Mr. Furnival went up to town, and Mr. Round junior—Mat Round, as he was called in the profession—came to him at his chambers. A promise had been made to the barrister by Round and Crook that no active steps should be taken against Lady Mason on the part of Joseph Mason of Groby, without notice being given to Mr. Furnival. And this visit by appointment was made in consequence of that promise.

'You see,' said Matthew Round, when that visit was nearly brought to a close, 'that we are pressed very hard to go on with this, and if we do not, somebody else will.'

'Nevertheless, if I were you, I should decline,' said Mr. Furnival.

'You're looking to your client, not to ours, sir,' said the attorney. 'The fact is that the whole case is very queer. It was proved on the last trial that Bolster and Kenneby were witnesses to a deed on the 14th of July, and that was all that was proved. Now we can