f things," said Sir Peregrine, speaking
with much enthusiasm, and no little temper, on the subject. "Here is
a question which was settled twenty years ago to the satisfaction of
every one who knew anything of the case, and now it is brought up
again that two men may wreak their vengeance on a poor widow. They
are not men; they are brutes."

"But why does she not bring an action against this attorney?" said
young Staveley.

"Such actions do not easily lie," said his father. "It may be quite
true that Dockwrath may have said all manner of evil things against
this lady, and yet it may be very difficult to obtain evidence of a
libel. It seems to me from what I have heard that the man himself
wishes such an action to be brought."

"And think of the state of poor Lady Mason!" said Mr. Furnival.
"Conceive the misery which it would occasion her if she were dragged
forward to give evidence on such a matter!"

"I believe it would kill her," said Sir Peregrine.

"The best means of assisting her would be to give her some
countenance," said the judge; "and from all that I can hear of her,
she deserves it."

"She does deserve it," said Sir Peregrine, "and she shall have it.
The people at Hamworth shall see at any rate that my daughter regards
her as a fit associate. I am happy to say that she is coming to The
Cleeve on my return home, and that she will remain there till after
Christmas."

"It is a very singular case," said Felix Graham, who had been
thinking over the position of the lady hitherto in silence.

"Indeed it is," said the judge; "and it shows how careful men should
be in all matters relating to their wills. The will and the codicil,
as it appears, are both in the handwriting of the widow, who acted
as an amanuensis not only for her husband but for the attorney. That
fact does not in my mind produce suspicion; but I do not doubt that
it has produced all this suspicion in the mind of the claimant. The
attorney who advised Sir Joseph should have known better."

"It is one of those cases," continued Graham, "in which the sufferer
should be protected by the very fact of her own innocence. No lawyer
should consent to take up the cudgels against her."

"I am afraid that she will not escape persecution from any such
professional chivalry," said the judge.

"All that is moonshine," said Mr. Furnival.

"And moonshine is a very pretty thing if you were not too much afraid
of the night air to go and look at it. If the