the hall, and left her only at the
library door. There she pressed her hand and again kissed her, and
then Lady Mason turned the handle of the door and entered the room.
Mr. Furnival, when he looked at her, was startled by the pallor of
her face, but nevertheless he thought that she had never looked so
beautiful. "Dear Lady Mason," said he, "I hope you are well."

Sir Peregrine advanced to her and handed her over to his own
arm-chair. Had she been a queen in distress she could not have been
treated with more gentle deference. But she never seemed to count
upon this, or in any way to assume it as her right. I should accuse
her of what I regard as a sin against all good taste were I to say
that she was humble in her demeanour; but there was a soft meekness
about her, an air of feminine dependence, a proneness to lean
and almost to cling as she leaned, which might have been felt as
irresistible by any man. She was a woman to know in her deep sorrow
rather than in her joy and happiness; one with whom one would love to
weep rather than to rejoice. And, indeed, the present was a time with
her for weeping, not for rejoicing.

Sir Peregrine looked as though he were her father as he took her
hand, and the barrister immediately comforted himself with the
remembrance of the baronet's great age. It was natural, too, that
Lady Mason should hang on him in his own house. So Mr. Furnival
contented himself at the first moment with touching her hand and
hoping that she was well. She answered hardly a word to either of
them, but she attempted to smile as she sat down, and murmured
something about the trouble she was giving them.

"Mr. Furnival thinks it best that you should be made aware of the
steps which are being taken by Mr. Mason of Groby Park," began Sir
Peregrine. "I am no lawyer myself, and therefore of course I cannot
put my advice against his."

"I am sure that both of you will tell me for the best," she said.

"In such a matter as this it is right that you should be guided by
him. That he is as firmly your friend as I am there can be no doubt."

"I believe Lady Mason trusts me in that," said the lawyer.

"Indeed I do; I would trust you both in anything," she said.

"And there can be no doubt that he must be able to direct you for
the best. I say so much at the first, because I myself so thoroughly
despise that man in Yorkshire,--I am so convinced that anything which
his malice may prompt him to do must be futile, that