ld have altogether softened her heart towards her
supposed enemy. She could forgive her any offence but the one.

"Yes indeed," said Mrs. Orme, wiping a tear away from her eye as she
thought of all the troubles present and to come. "It is the saddest
thing. Poor lady! It would almost break your heart if you were to see
her. Since first she heard of this, which was before Christmas, she
has not had one quiet moment."

"Poor creature!" said Mrs. Furnival.

"Ah, you would say so, if you knew all. She has had to depend a great
deal upon Mr. Furnival for advice, and without that I don't know
what she would do." This Mrs. Orme said, not wishing to revert to
the charge against Lady Mason which had brought Mrs. Furnival down
to Hamworth, but still desirous of emancipating her poor friend
completely from that charge. "And Sir Peregrine also is very kind
to her,--very." This she added; feeling that up to that moment Mrs.
Furnival could have heard nothing of the intended marriage, but
thinking it probable that she must do so before long. "Indeed anybody
would be kind to her who saw her in her suffering. I am sure you
would, Mrs. Furnival."

"Dear, dear!" said Mrs. Furnival who was beginning to entertain
almost a kindly feeling towards Mrs. Orme.

"It is such a dreadful position for a lady. Sometimes I think that
her mind will fail her before the day comes."

"But what a very wicked man that other Mr. Mason must be!" said Mrs.
Furnival.

That was a view of the matter on which Mrs. Orme could not say much.
She disliked that Mr. Mason as much as she could dislike a man whom
she had never seen, but it was not open to her now to say that he was
very wicked in this matter. "I suppose he thinks the property ought
to belong to him," she answered.

"That was settled years ago," said Mrs. Furnival. "Horrid, cruel man!
But after all I don't see why she should mind it so much."

"Oh, Mrs. Furnival!--to stand in a court and be tried."

"But if one is innocent! For my part, if I knew myself innocent I
could brave them all. It is the feeling that one is wrong that cows
one." And Mrs. Furnival thought of the little confession which she
would be called upon to make at home.

And then feeling some difficulty as to her last words in such an
interview, Mrs. Furnival got up to go. "Perhaps, Mrs. Orme," she
said, "I have been foolish in this."

"You have been mistaken, Mrs. Furnival. I am sure of that."

"I begin to think I have. But,