assist him
in his love troubles.

CHAPTER XIV.

MR. WILLIAM BELTON TAKES A WALK IN LONDON.

At the time of my story there was a certain Mr. Green, a worthy
attorney, who held chambers in Stone Buildings, Lincoln's Inn, much
to the profit of himself and family,--and to the profit and comfort
also of a numerous body of clients,--a man much respected in the
neighbourhood of Chancery Lane, and beloved, I do not doubt, in the
neighbourhood of Bushey, in which delightfully rural parish he was
possessed of a genteel villa and ornamental garden. With Mr. Green's
private residence we shall, I believe, have no further concern; but
to him at his chambers in Stone Buildings I must now introduce the
reader of these memoirs. He was a man not yet forty years of age,
with still much of the salt of youth about him, a pleasant companion
as well as a good lawyer, and one who knew men and things in London,
as it is given to pleasant clever fellows, such as Joseph Green, to
know them. Now Mr. Green, and his father before him, had been the
legal advisers of the Amedroz family, and our Mr. Joseph Green had
had but a bad time of it with Charles Amedroz in the last years of
that unfortunate young man's life. But lawyers endure these troubles,
submitting themselves to the extravagances, embarrassments, and even
villany of the bad subjects among their clients' families, with a
good-humoured patience that is truly wonderful. That, however, was
all over now as regarded Mr. Green and the Amedrozes, and he had
nothing further to do but to save for the father what relics of the
property he might secure. And he was also legal adviser to our friend
Will Belton, there having been some old family connection among them,
and had often endeavoured to impress upon his old client at Belton
Castle his own strong conviction that the heir was a generous fellow,
who might be trusted in everything. But this had been taken amiss
by the old squire, who, indeed, was too much disposed to take all
things amiss and to suspect everybody. "I understand," he had said
to his daughter. "I know all about it. Belton and Mr. Green have
been dear friends always. I can't trust my own lawyer any longer." In
all which the old squire showed much ingratitude. It will, however,
be understood that these suspicions were rife before the time of
Belton's visit to the family estate.

Some four or five days before Christmas there came a visitor to Mr.
Green with whom the reader