y?" said young Orme.

"Highty-tighty! What are you talking about, young man? The fact is,
you do not know what you are talking about. But as I have a respect
for your grandfather and for your mother I will give you and them a
piece of advice, gratis. Don't let them be too thick with Lady Mason
till they see how this matter goes."

"Mr. Dockwrath," said Lucius, "you are a mean, low, vile scoundrel."

"Very well, sir. Adams, just take a note of that. Don't mind what Mr.
Orme said. I can easily excuse him. He'll know the truth before long,
and then he'll beg my pardon."

"I'll take my oath I look upon you as the greatest miscreant that
ever I met," said Peregrine, who was of course bound to support his
friend.

"You'll change your mind, Mr. Orme, before long, and then you'll find
that you have met a worse miscreant than I am. Did you put down those
words, Adams?"

"Them as Mr. Mason spoke? Yes; I've got them down."

"Read them," said the master.

And the clerk read them, "Mr. Dockwrath, you are a mean, low, vile
scoundrel."

"And now, young gentlemen, if you have got nothing else to observe,
as I am rather busy, perhaps you will allow me to wish you good
morning."

"Very well, Mr. Dockwrath," said Mason; "you may be sure that you
will hear further from me."

"We shall be sure to hear of each other. There is no doubt in the
world about that," said the attorney. And then the two young men
withdrew with an unexpressed feeling in the mind of each of them,
that they had not so completely got the better of their antagonist as
the justice of their case demanded.

They then remounted their horses, and Orme accompanied his friend as
far as Orley Farm, from whence he got into the Alston road through
The Cleeve grounds. "And what do you intend to do now?" said
Peregrine as soon as they were mounted.

"I shall employ a lawyer," said he, "on my own footing; not my
mother's lawyer, but some one else. Then I suppose I shall be guided
by his advice." Had he done this before he made his visit to Mr.
Dockwrath, perhaps it might have been better. All this sat very
heavily on poor Peregrine's mind; and therefore as the company were
talking about Lady Mason after dinner, he remained silent, listening,
but not joining in the conversation.

The whole of that evening Lucius and his mother sat together, saying
nothing. There was not absolutely any quarrel between them, but on
this terrible subject there was an utter want of acc