parcel of teas--"

"Stolen, you mean, sir," suggested Mrs. Smiley.

"Yes; stolen. But it was only done by the opposite side in court, and
I didn't think a halfporth of it. They knew where the teas was well
enough."

"Speaking for myself," said Kenneby, "I must say I don't like it."

"But the paper as we signed," said Bridget, "wasn't the old
gentleman's will,--no more than this is;" and she lifted up her
apron. "I'm rightly sure of that."

Then again the battle raged hot and furious, and Moulder became angry
with his guest, Bridget Bolster. Kantwise finding himself supported
in his views by the principal witness at the trial took heart
against the tyranny of Moulder and expressed his opinion, while Mrs.
Smiley, with a woman's customary dislike to another woman, sneered
ill-naturedly at the idea of Lady Mason's innocence. Poor Kenneby had
been forced to take the middle seat on the sofa between his bride and
sister; but it did not appear that the honour of his position had
any effect in lessening his gloom or mitigating the severity of the
judgment which had been passed on him.

"Wasn't the old gentleman's will!" said Moulder, turning on poor
Bridget in his anger with a growl. "But I say it was the old
gentleman's will. You never dared say as much as that in court."

"I wasn't asked," said Bridget.

"You weren't asked! Yes, you was asked often enough."

"I'll tell you what it is," said Kantwise, "Mrs. Bolster's right in
what she says as sure as your name's Moulder."

"Then as sure as my name's Moulder she's wrong. I suppose we're to
think that a chap like you knows more about it than the jury! We all
know who your friend is in the matter. I haven't forgot our dinner at
Leeds, nor sha'n't in a hurry."

"Now, John," said Mrs. Smiley, "nobody can know the truth of this so
well as you do. You've been as close as wax, as was all right till
the lady was out of her troubles. That's done and over, and let us
hear among friends how the matter really was." And then there was
silence among them in order that his words might come forth freely.

"Come, my dear," said Mrs. Smiley with a tone of encouraging love.
"There can't be any harm now; can there?"

"Out with it, John," said Moulder. "You're honest, anyways."

"There ain't no gammon about you," said Snengkeld.

"Mr. Kenneby can speak if he likes, no doubt," said Kantwise; "though
maybe it mayn't be very pleasant to him to do so after all that's
come and gone."