him or his. I would utterly disregard
them. If he, or they, or any of them choose to take steps to annoy
her, let her attorney manage that in the usual way. I am no lawyer
myself, Mr. Furnival, but that I think is the manner in which things
of this kind should be arranged. I do not know whether they have
still the power of disputing the will, but if so, let them do it."

Gradually, by very slow degrees, Mr. Furnival made Sir Peregrine
understand that the legal doings now threatened were not of that
nature;--that Mr. Mason did not now talk of proceeding at law for
the recovery of the property, but for the punishment of his father's
widow as a criminal; and at last the dreadful word "forgery" dropped
from his lips.

"Who dares to make such a charge as that?" demanded the baronet,
while fire literally flashed from his eyes in his anger. And when he
was told that Mr. Mason did make such a charge he called him "a mean,
unmanly dastard." "I do not believe that he would dare to make it
against a man," said Sir Peregrine.

But there was the fact of the charge--the fact that it had been
placed in the hands of respectable attorneys, with instructions to
them to press it on--and the fact also that the evidence by which
that charge was to be supported possessed at any rate a _prima facie_
appearance of strength. All that it was necessary to explain to Sir
Peregrine, as it would also be necessary to explain it to Lady Mason.

"Am I to understand, then, that you also think--?" began Sir
Peregrine.

"You are not to understand that I think anything injurious to the
lady; but I do fear that she is in a position of much jeopardy, and
that great care will be necessary."

"Good heavens! Do you mean to say that an innocent person can under
such circumstances be in danger in this country?"

"An innocent person, Sir Peregrine, may be in danger of very great
annoyance, and also of very great delay in proving that innocence.
Innocent people have died under the weight of such charges. We must
remember that she is a woman, and therefore weaker than you or I."

"Yes, yes; but still--. You do not say that you think she can be in
any real danger?" It seemed, from the tone of the old man's voice, as
though he were almost angry with Mr. Furnival for supposing that such
could be the case. "And you intend to tell her all this?" he asked.

"I fear that, as her friend, neither you nor I will be warranted in
keeping her altogether in the dark.