court Mr. Steelyard got up to examine Dockwrath,
who was put into the box as the first witness. The attorney produced
certain documents supposed to be of relevancy, which he had found
among his father-in-law's papers, and then described how he had found
that special document which gave him to understand that Bolster and
Kenneby had been used as witnesses to a certain signature on that
14th of July. He had known all the circumstances of the old trial,
and hence his suspicions had been aroused. Acting upon this he had
gone immediately down to Mr. Mason in Yorkshire, and the present
trial was the result of his care and intelligence. This was in effect
the purport of his direct evidence, and then he was handed over to
the tender mercies of the other side.

On the other side Mr. Chaffanbrass rose to begin the battle. Mr.
Furnival had already been engaged in sundry of those preliminary
skirmishes which had been found necessary before the fight had been
commenced in earnest, and therefore the turn had now come for Mr.
Chaffanbrass. All this, however, had been arranged beforehand, and
it had been agreed that if possible Dockwrath should be made to fall
into the clutches of the Old Bailey barrister. It was pretty to see
the meek way in which Mr. Chaffanbrass rose to his work; how gently
he smiled, how he fidgeted about a few of the papers as though he
were not at first quite master of his situation, and how he arranged
his old wig in a modest, becoming manner, bringing it well forward
over his forehead. His voice also was low and soft;--so low that
it was hardly heard through the whole court, and persons who had
come far to listen to him began to feel themselves disappointed.
And it was pretty also to see how Dockwrath armed himself for the
encounter,--how he sharpened his teeth, as it were, and felt the
points of his own claws. The little devices of Mr. Chaffanbrass did
not deceive him. He knew what he had to expect; but his pluck was
good, as is the pluck of a terrier when a mastiff prepares to attack
him. Let Mr. Chaffanbrass do his worst; that would all be over in an
hour or so. But when Mr. Chaffanbrass had done his worst, Orley Farm
would still remain.

"I believe you were a tenant of Lady Mason's at one time, Mr.
Dockwrath?" asked the barrister.

"I was; and she turned me out. If you will allow me I will tell
you how all that happened, and how I was angered by the usage I
received." Mr. Dockwrath was determined to ma