"Oh, very well; then I'll put up your things," she had answered in
her usual mild, sad, whining, household voice. Her voice at home was
always sad and whining, for she was overworked, and had too many
cares, and her lord was a tyrant to her rather than a husband.

"Yes, I must see Mr. Mason immediately. And look here, Miriam, I
positively insist that you do not go to Orley Farm, or hold any
intercourse whatever with Lady Mason. D'ye hear?"

Mrs. Dockwrath said that she did hear, and promised obedience. Mr.
Dockwrath probably guessed that the moment his back was turned all
would be told at the farm, and probably also had no real objection to
her doing so. Had he in truth wished to keep his proceedings secret
from Lady Mason he would not have divulged them to his wife. And then
Mr. Dockwrath did start for the north, bearing certain documents with
him; and soon after his departure Mrs. Dockwrath did pay a visit to
Orley Farm.

Lady Mason sat there perfectly still for about an hour thinking what
she would do. She had asked Sir Peregrine, and had the advantage of
his advice; but that did not weigh much with her. What she wanted
from Sir Peregrine was countenance and absolute assistance in the
day of trouble,--not advice. She had desired to renew his interest
in her favour, and to receive from him his assurance that he would
not desert her; and that she had obtained. It was of course also
necessary that she should consult him; but in turning over within her
own mind this and that line of conduct, she did not, consciously,
attach any weight to Sir Peregrine's opinion. The great question for
her to decide was this;--should she put herself and her case into the
hands of her friend Mr. Furnival now at once, or should she wait till
she had received some certain symptom of hostile proceedings? If she
did see Mr. Furnival, what could she tell him? Only this, that Mr.
Dockwrath had found some document among the papers of old Mr. Usbech,
and had gone off with the same to Groby Park in Yorkshire. What that
document might be she was as ignorant as the attorney's wife.

When the hour was ended she had made up her mind that she would do
nothing more in the matter, at any rate on that day.

CHAPTER VI

THE COMMERCIAL ROOM, BULL INN, LEEDS

Mr. Samuel Dockwrath was a little man, with sandy hair, a pale face,
and stone-blue eyes. In judging of him by appearance only and not by
the ear, one would be inclined to doubt that he