ken on the matter, and she
had declared her purpose of taking the place which it would not now
become him to fill! Sir Peregrine had started from his chair when she
had so spoken. What! his daughter! She, the purest of the pure, to
whom the very air of a court of law would be a contamination;--she,
whose whiteness had never been sullied by contact with the world's
dust; she set by the side of that terrible criminal, hand in hand
with her, present to all the world as her bosom friend! There had
been but few words between them on the matter; but Sir Peregrine had
felt strongly that that might not be permitted. Far better than that
it would be that he should humble his gray hairs and sit there to
be gazed at by the crowd. But on all accounts how much was it to be
desired that there should be no trial!

"Sit down, Edith," he said, as with her soft step she came up to him.
"I find that the assizes will be here, in Alston, at the end of next
month."

"So soon as that, father?"

"Yes; look here: the judges will come in on the 25th of March."

"Ah me--this is very sudden. But, father, will it not be best for her
that it should be over?"

Mrs. Orme still thought, had always thought that the trial itself was
unavoidable. Indeed she had thought and she did think that it
afforded to Lady Mason the only possible means of escape. Her mind on
the subject, if it could have been analyzed, would probably have been
this. As to the property, that question must for the present stand
in abeyance. It is quite right that it should go to its detestable
owners,--that it should be made over to them at some day not very
distant. But for the present, the trial for that old, long-distant
crime was the subject for them to consider. Could it be wrong to wish
for an acquittal for the sinner,--an acquittal before this world's
bar, seeing that a true verdict had undoubtedly been given before
another bar? Mrs. Orme trusted that no jury would convict her friend.
Let Lady Mason go through that ordeal; and then, when the law had
declared her innocent, let restitution be made.

"It will be very terrible to all if she be condemned," said Sir
Peregrine.

"Very terrible! But Mr. Furnival--"

"Edith, if it comes to that, she will be condemned. Mr. Furnival is a
lawyer and will not say so; but from his countenance, when he speaks
of her, I know that he expects it!"

"Oh, father, do not say so."

"But if it is so--. My love, what is the purport of the