ually learned the position which Mr
Crawley and the question of Mr. Crawley's guilt really held in the
county, and he returned to town resolved to go on with the case.

"I'll have a barrister down express, and I'll defend him in his
own teeth," he said to his wife. "There'll be a scene in court, I
daresay, and the man will call upon his own counsel to hold his
tongue and shut up his brief; and, as far as I can see, counsel
in such a case would have no alternative. But there would come an
explanation,--how Crawley was too honourable to employ a man whom
he could not pay, and there would be a romance, and it would all go
down with the jury. One wants sympathy in such a case as that--not
evidence."

"And how much will it cost, Tom?" said Maria, dolefully.

"Only a trifle. We won't think of that yet. There's John Eames is
going all the way to Jerusalem, out of his pocket."

"But Johnny hasn't got twelve children, Tom."

"One doesn't have a cousin in trouble every day," said Toogood. "And
then you see there's something very pretty in the case. It's quite a
pleasure getting it up."

CHAPTER XLIII

Mr. Crosbie Goes into the City

"I have known the City now for more than ten years, Mr. Crosbie, and
I never knew money to be so tight as it is at this moment. The best
commercial bills going can't be done under nine, and any other kind
of paper can't so much as get itself looked at." Thus spoke Mr
Musselboro. He was seated in Dobbs Broughton's arm-chair in Dobbs
Broughton's room in Hook Court, on the hind legs of which he
was balancing himself comfortably; and he was communicating his
experience in City matters to our old friend, Adolphus Crosbie,--of
whom we may surmise that he would not have been there, at that
moment, in Hook Court, if things had been going well with him. It
was now past eleven o'clock, and he should have been at his office
at the West End. His position in his office was no doubt high enough
to place him beyond the reach of any special inquiry as to such
absences; but it is generally felt that when the Crosbies of the West
End have calls into the City about noon, things in the world are not
going well with them. The man who goes into the City to look for
money is generally one who does not know where to get money when he
wants it. Mr. Musselboro on this occasion kept his hat on his head,
and there was something in the way in which he balanced his chair
which was in itself an offence to Mr. Cro