iage engagement, he was very positive; on
that subject there was to be no doubt.

And then she went; and as she passed down the dark passage into the
new square by the old gate of the Chancellor's court, she met a stout
lady. The stout lady eyed her savagely, but was not quite sure as to
her identity. Lady Mason in her trouble passed the stout lady without
taking any notice of her.

CHAPTER XLII

JOHN KENNEBY GOES TO HAMWORTH

When John Kenneby dined with his sister and brother-in-law on
Christmas-day he agreed, at the joint advice of the whole party there
assembled, that he would go down and see Mr. Dockwrath at Hamworth,
in accordance with the invitation received from that gentleman;--his
enemy, Dockwrath, who had carried off Miriam Usbech, for whom John
Kenneby still sighed,--in a gentle easy manner indeed,--but still
sighed as though it were an affair but of yesterday. But though he
had so agreed, and though he had never stirred from that resolve, he
by no means did it immediately. He was a slow man, whose life had
offered him but little excitement; and the little which came to him
was husbanded well and made to go a long way. He thought about this
journey for nearly a month before he took it, often going to his
sister and discussing it with her, and once or twice seeing the great
Moulder himself. At last he fixed a day and did go down to Hamworth.

He had, moreover, been invited to the offices of Messrs. Round and
Crook, and that visit also was as yet unpaid. A clerk from the house
in Bedford Row had found him out at Hubbles and Grease's, and had
discovered that he would be forthcoming as a witness. On the special
subject of his evidence not much had then passed, the clerk having
had no discretion given him to sift the matter. But Kenneby had
promised to go to Bedford Row, merely stipulating for a day at some
little distance of time. That day was now near at hand; but he was
to see Dockwrath first, and hence it occurred that he now made his
journey to Hamworth.

But another member of that Christmas party at Great St. Helen's had
not been so slow in carrying out his little project. Mr. Kantwise had
at once made up his mind that it would be as well that he should see
Dockwrath. It would not suit him to incur the expense of a journey
to Hamworth, even with the additional view of extracting payment for
that set of metallic furniture; but he wrote to the attorney telling
him that he should be in London i