hard case when it has moved him," said Mr. Walker
to Mr. Toogood as they left the clergyman's house; and then the
Silverbridge attorney saw the attorney from London home to his inn.

It was the general opinion at Silverbridge that the news from Venice
ought to be communicated to the Crawleys by Major Grantly. Mary
Walker had expressed this opinion very strongly, and her mother had
agreed with her. Miss Prettyman also felt that poetical justice, or,
at least, the romance of justice, demanded this; and, as she told her
sister Anne after Mary Walker left her, she was of opinion that such
an arrangement might tend to make things safe. "I do think he is an
honest man and a fine fellow," said Miss Prettyman; "but, my dear,
you know what the proverb says, 'There's many a slip 'twixt the cup
and the lip.'" Miss Prettyman thought than anything which might be
done to prevent a slip ought to be done. The idea that the pleasant
task of taking the news out to Hogglestock ought to be confided to
Major Grantly was very general; but then Mr. Walker was of the opinion
that the news ought not to be taken to Hogglestock at all till
something more certain than the telegram had reached them. Early on
the following morning the two lawyers again met, and it was arranged
between them that the London lawyer should go over at once to
Barchester, and that the Silverbridge lawyer should see Major
Grantly. Mr. Toogood was still of the opinion that with due diligence
something might yet be learned as to the cheque by inquiry among the
denizens of "The Dragon of Wantly"; and his opinion to this effect
was stronger than ever when he learned from Mr. Walker that the
"Dragon of Wantly" belonged to Mrs. Arabin.

Mr. Walker, after breakfast, had himself driven up in his open
carriage to Cosby Lodge, and, as he entered the gates, observed that
the auctioneer's bills as to the sale had been pulled down. The
Mr. Walkers of the world know everything, and our Mr. Walker had
quite understood that the major was leaving Cosby Lodge because
of some misunderstanding with his father. The exact nature of the
misunderstanding he did not know, even though he was Mr. Walker, but
had little doubt that it referred in some way to Grace Crawley. If
the archdeacon's objection to Grace arose from the imputation against
the father, that objection would now be removed, but the abolition
of the posters could not as yet have been owing to any such cause as
that. Mr. Walker fou