y. Everybody had
now heard of it, and everybody was also aware, that though the
idea of a marriage had been abandoned, there had been no quarrel.
The friendship between the families was as close as ever, and
Sir Peregrine,--so it was understood--had pledged himself to an
acquittal. It was felt to be a public annoyance that an affair of so
exciting a nature should be allowed to come off in the little town of
Alston. The court-house, too, was very defective in its arrangements,
and ill qualified to give accommodation to the great body of would-be
attendants at the trial. One leading newspaper went so far as to
suggest, that in such a case as this, the antediluvian prejudices
of the British grandmother--meaning the Constitution--should be set
aside, and the trial should take place in London. But I am not aware
that any step was taken towards the carrying out of so desirable a
project.

Down at Hamworth the feeling in favour of Lady Mason was not
perhaps so strong as it was elsewhere. Dockwrath was a man not much
respected, but nevertheless many believed in him; and down there, in
the streets of Hamworth, he was not slack in propagating his view of
the question. He had no doubt, he said, how the case would go. He had
no doubt, although he was well aware that Mr. Mason's own lawyers
would do all they could to throw over their own client. But he was
too strong, he said, even for that. The facts as he would bring them
forward would confound Round and Crook, and compel any jury to find
a verdict of guilty. I do not say that all Hamworth believed in
Dockwrath, but his energy and confidence did have its effect, and
Lady Mason's case was not upheld so strongly in her own neighbourhood
as elsewhere.

The witnesses in these days were of course very important persons,
and could not but feel the weight of that attention which the world
would certainly pay to them. There would be four chief witnesses for
the prosecution; Dockwrath himself, who would be prepared to speak
as to the papers left behind him by old Usbech; the man in whose
possession now remained that deed respecting the partnership which
was in truth executed by old Sir Joseph on that fourteenth of
July; Bridget Bolster; and John Kenneby. Of the manner in which Mr.
Dockwrath used his position we already know enough. The man who held
the deed, one Torrington, was a relative of Martock, Sir Joseph's
partner, and had been one of his executors. It was not much indeed
that h