asion Mrs. Smiley did not
rebuke him. "What does he know about it more than any one else? Will
he bet two to one? Because, if so, I'll take it;--only I must see the
money down."

"I don't know what he'll bet, Mr. Moulder; only he says it's all up
with her."

"Will he back his side, even handed?"

"I ain't a betting man, Mr. Moulder. I don't think it's right. And on
such a matter as this, touching the liberty and almost life of a lady
whom I've had the honour of seeing, and acquainted as I am with the
lady of the other party, Mrs. Mason that is of Groby Park, I should
rather, if it's no offence to you, decline the subject of--betting."

"Bother!"

"Now M., in your own house, you know!" said his wife.

"So it is bother. But never mind that. Go on, Kantwise. What is this
you were saying about Dockwrath?"

"Oh, that's about all. I thought you would like to know what they
were doing,--particularly Mr. Kenneby. I do hear that they mean to be
uncommonly hard upon him."

The unfortunate witness shifted uneasily in his seat, but at the
moment said nothing himself.

"Well, now, I can't understand it," said Mrs. Smiley, sitting upright
in her chair, and tackling herself to the discussion as though she
meant to express her opinion, let who might think differently. "How
is any one to put words into my mouth if I don't choose to speak
then? There's John's waistcoat is silk." Upon which they all looked
at Kenneby's waistcoat, and, with the exception of Kantwise,
acknowledged the truth of the assertion.

"That's as may be," said he, looking round at it from the corner of
his eyes.

"And do you mean to say that all the barristers in London will make
me say that it's made of cloth? It's ridic'lous--nothing short of
ridic'lous."

"You've never tried, my dear," said Moulder.

"I don't know about being your dear, Mr. Moulder--"

"Nor yet don't I neither, Mrs. Smiley," said the wife.

"Mr. Kenneby's my dear, and I ain't ashamed to own him,--before men
and women. But if he allows hisself to be hocussed in that way, I
don't know but what I shall be ashamed. I call it hocussing--just
hocussing."

"So it is, ma'am," said Kantwise, "only this, you know, if I hocus
you, why you hocus me in return; so it isn't so very unfair, you
know."

"Unfair!" said Moulder. "It's the fairest thing that is. It's the
bulwark of the British Constitution."

"What! being badgered and browbeat?" asked Kenneby, who was thinking
within himsel