umphantly.

"You think it can be worked?"

"We can have a jolly good try at it," said Mr. Carrington, rubbing his
hands together, and his square, massive face was rather malignant in
its triumph.

Mr. Flexen did not look triumphant, or even hopeful.

"But will you get the new Lord Loudwater to bring this action?" he said.

"Why, of course. There's the money for one thing, and when he sees how
important it is from the point of view of getting at Manley, he can't
refuse," said Mr. Carrington confidently.

"There isn't the money--not necessarily. He might get back the twelve
thousand pounds and have to pay Mrs. Manley six hundred a year for forty
or fifty years. She's a healthy-looking woman," said Mr. Flexen. "I take
it that the late Lord Loudwater had property of his own against which she
could claim."

"Oh, of course, she could do that," said Mr. Carrington, and there was
some diminution of the triumphant expression.

"She would," said Mr. Flexen. "Then you'll have to get over his objection
to incurring a considerable amount of odium. It will look bad for a man
of his wealth to try to recover from a lady a sum of money to which every
one will consider her entitled."

"Oh, but it was obtained by fraud," said Mr. Carrington.

"If you were sure of proving that, it would make a difference in the way
people would regard it. But you're not sure of proving it--not by a long
chalk. And you can't assure your client that you are. There'll be a lot
of conflicting evidence about that signature, as Harrison pretty clearly
showed. If you don't prove it, your client will be landed with the costs
of the case and incur still greater odium."

"Ah, but he is bound to take the risk to bring his cousin's murderer to
justice," said Mr. Carrington.

"Is he?" said Flexen dryly. "What kind of terms was he on with his
murdered cousin?"

"Well, I must say I didn't expect you to ask that question," said Mr.
Carrington pettishly. "What kind of terms was the late Lord Loudwater
likely to be on with his heir? They hated one another like poison."

"I thought as much," said Mr. Flexen. "And what kind of a man is the new
man--anything like his dead cousin?"

"Oh, well, all the Loudwaters are pretty much of a muchness. But the
present man is a better man all round--better manners and better
brains," said Mr. Carrington.

"Better brains, and you think he'll be willing to celebrate his
succession to the peerage by a first-class scandal