ouble with it; I know he will. I do so wish
you'd tell him, for he can't hurt you if you stand up to him. If I
speak,--Lord bless you, I don't dare to call my soul my own for a
week afterwards."

"Is he so very--"

"Oh, dreadful, John. He's bid me never speak a word to her. But for
all that I used till she went away down to The Cleeve yonder. And
what do you think they say now? And I do believe it too. They say
that Sir Peregrine is going to make her his lady. If he does that it
stands to reason that Dockwrath and Joseph Mason will get the worst
of it. I'm sure I hope they will; only he'll be twice as hard if he
don't make money by it in some way."

"Will he, now?"

"Indeed he will. You never knew anything like him for hardness if
things go wrong awhile. I know he's got lots of money, because he's
always buying up bits of houses; besides, what has he done with mine?
but yet sometimes you'd hardly think he'd let me have bread enough
for the children--and as for clothes--!" Poor Miriam! It seemed that
her husband shared with her but few of the spoils or triumphs of his
profession.

Tidings now came in from the office that Dockwrath was there. "You'll
come round and eat a bit of dinner with us?" said she, hesitatingly.
He felt that she hesitated, and hesitated himself in his reply. "He
must say something in the way of asking you, you know, and then say
you'll come. His manner's nothing to you, you know. Do now. It does
me good to look at you, John; it does indeed." And then, without
making any promise, he left her and went round to the office.

Kenneby had made up his mind, talking over the matter with Moulder
and his sister, that he would be very reserved in any communication
which he might make to Dockwrath as to his possible evidence at the
coming trial; but nevertheless when Dockwrath had got him into his
office, the attorney made him give a succinct account of everything
he knew, taking down his deposition in a regular manner. "And now if
you'll just sign that," Dockwrath said to him when he had done.

"I don't know about signing," said Kenneby. "A man should never write
his own name unless he knows why."

"You must sign your own deposition;" and the attorney frowned at him
and looked savage. "What would a judge say to you in court if you had
made such a statement as this, affecting the character of a woman
like Lady Mason, and then had refused to sign it? You'd never be able
to hold up your head again."