e think that she would wish me to be there?"

It was his desire that his mother should learn to have such a wish,
and this he explained to her. He himself could do but little at home
because he could not yield his opinion on those matters of importance
as to which he and his mother differed so vitally; but if she had a
woman with her in the house,--such a woman as his own Sophia,--then
he thought her heart would be softened and part of her sorrow might
be assuaged.

Sophia at last said that she would think about it. It would be
improper, she said, to pledge herself to anything rashly. It might be
that as her father was to defend Lady Mason, he might on that account
object to his daughter being in the court. Lucius declared that this
would be unreasonable,--unless indeed Mr. Furnival should object to
his daughter's engagement. And might he not do so? Sophia thought
it very probable that he might. It would make no difference in her,
she said. Her engagement would be equally binding,--as permanently
binding, let who would object to it. And as she made this
declaration, there was of course a little love scene. But, for the
present, it might be best that in this matter she should obey her
father. And then she pointed out how fatal it might be to avert her
father from the cause while the trial was still pending. Upon the
whole she acted her part very prudently, and when Lucius left her
she was pledged to nothing but that one simple fact of a marriage
engagement.

CHAPTER LVI

HOW SIR PEREGRINE DID BUSINESS WITH MR. ROUND

In the mean time Sir Peregrine was sitting at home trying to
determine in what way he should act under the present emergency,
actuated as he was on one side by friendship and on the other by
duty. For the first day or two--nay for the first week after the
confession had been made to him,--he had been so astounded, had
been so knocked to the earth, and had remained in such a state of
bewilderment, that it had been impossible for him to form for himself
any line of conduct. His only counsellor had been Mrs. Orme; and,
though he could not analyze the matter, he felt that her woman's
ideas of honour and honesty were in some way different from his ideas
as a man. To her the sorrows and utter misery of Lady Mason seemed of
greater weight than her guilt. At least such was the impression which
her words left. Mrs. Orme's chief anxiety in the matter still was
that Lady Mason should be acquitted;--as st