et quite at home in his position; but he made up his mind
as he did so that he would be at home before he left the room.

"I find that you have been down in Yorkshire with a client of ours,
Mr. Dockwrath," said Mr. Matthew Round.

"Yes, I have," said he of Hamworth.

"Ah! well--; you are in the profession yourself, I believe?"

"Yes; I am an attorney."

"Would it not have been well to have come to us first?"

"No, I think not. I have not the pleasure of knowing your name, sir."

"My name is Round--Matthew Round."

"I beg your pardon, sir; I did not know," said Mr. Dockwrath, bowing.
It was a satisfaction to him to learn that he was closeted with a Mr.
Round, even if it were not the Mr. Round. "No, Mr. Round, I can't say
that I should have thought of that. In the first place I didn't know
whether Mr. Mason employed any lawyer, and in the next--"

"Well, well; it does not matter. It is usual among the profession;
but it does not in the least signify. Mr. Mason has written to us,
and he says that you have found out something about that Orley Farm
business."

"Yes; I have found out something. At least, I rather think so."

"Well, what is, it, Mr. Dockwrath?"

"Ah! that's the question. It's rather a ticklish business, Mr. Round;
a family affair, as I may say."

"Whose family?"

"To a certain extent my family, and to a certain extent Mr. Mason's
family. I don't know how far I should be justified in laying all the
facts before you--wonderful facts they are too--in an off-hand way
like that. These matters have to be considered a great deal. It is
not only the extent of the property. There is much more than that in
it, Mr. Round."

"If you don't tell me what there is in it, I don't see what we are to
do. I am sure you did not give yourself the trouble of coming up here
from Hamworth merely with the object of telling us that you are going
to hold your tongue."

"Certainly not, Mr. Round."

"Then what did you come to say?"

"May I ask you, Mr. Round, what Mr. Mason has told you with reference
to my interview with him?"

"Yes; I will read you a part of his letter--'Mr. Dockwrath is
of opinion that the will under which the estate is now enjoyed
is absolutely a forgery.' I presume you mean the codicil, Mr.
Dockwrath?"

"Oh yes! the codicil of course."

"'And he has in his possession documents which I have not seen,
but which seem to me, as described, to go far to prove that this
certainly must have been t