through with it."

"Oh, of course; in such a case as that you will no doubt go through
with it?"

"That's my intention, I assure you. And I tell you what; young
Mason,--that's the son of the widow of the old man who made the
will--"

"Or rather who did not make it, as you say."

"Yes, yes; he made the will; but he did not make the codicil--and
that young Mason has no more right to the property than you have."

"Hasn't he now?"

"No; and I can prove it too."

"Well; the general opinion in the profession is that Lady Mason will
stand her ground and hold her own. I don't know what the points are
myself, but I have heard it discussed, and that is certainly what
people think."

"Then people will find that they are very much mistaken."

"I was talking to one of Round's young men about it, and I fancy they
are not very sanguine."

"I do not care a fig for Round or his young men. It would be quite
as well for Joseph Mason if Round and Crook gave up the matter
altogether. It lies in a nutshell, and the truth must come out
whatever Round and Crook may choose to say. And I'll tell you
more--old Furnival, big a man as he thinks himself, cannot save her."

"Has he anything to do with it?" asked Mr. Cooke.

"Yes; the sly old fox. My belief is that only for him she'd give up
the battle, and be down on her marrow-bones asking for mercy."

"She'd have little chance of mercy, from what I hear of Joseph
Mason."

"She'd have to give up the property of course. And even then I don't
know whether he'd let her off. By heavens! he couldn't let her off
unless I chose." And then by degrees he told Mr. Cooke some of the
circumstances of the case.

But it was not till the fourth evening that Mr. Dockwrath spent with
his lodger that the intimacy had so far progressed as to enable Mr.
Crabwitz to proceed with his little scheme. On that day Mr. Dockwrath
had received a notice that at noon on the following morning Mr.
Joseph Mason and Bridget Bolster would both be at the house of
Messrs. Round and Crook in Bedford Row, and that he could attend at
that hour if it so pleased him. It certainly would so please him,
he said to himself when he got that letter; and in the evening he
mentioned to his new friend the business which was taking him to
London.

"If I might advise you in the matter, Mr. Dockwrath," said Crabwitz,
"I should stay away altogether."

"And why so?"

"Because that's not your market. This poor devil of a woman--