as very
keen in thinking what steps had better be taken. Mary wished to run off
to the deanery at once, but was told that she had better not do so till
an answer had come to the letter which was of course written by that
day's post to Lord George. There were still ten days to the trial, and
twenty days, by computation, to the great event. There were, of course,
various letters written to Lord George. Lady Sarah wrote very sensibly,
suggesting that he should go to Mr. Stokes, the family lawyer. Lady
Susanna was full of the original sin of that unfortunate visit to the
Disabilities. She was, however, of opinion that if Mary was concealed
in a certain room at Manor Cross, which might she thought be
sufficiently warmed and ventilated for health, the judges of the
Queen's Bench would never be able to find her. The baby in that case
would have been born at Manor Cross, and posterity would know nothing
about the room. Mary's letter was almost hysterically miserable. She
knew nothing about the horrid people. What did they want her to say?
All she had done was to go to a lecture, and to give the wicked woman a
guinea. Wouldn't George come and take her away. She wouldn't care where
she went. Nothing on earth should make her go up and stand before the
judges. It was, she said, very cruel, and she did hope that George
would come to her at once. If he didn't come she thought that she would
die.

Nothing, of course, was said to the Marchioness, but it was found
impossible to keep the matter from Mrs. Toff. Mrs. Toff was of opinion
that the bit of paper should be burned, and that no further notice
should be taken of the matter at all. "If they don't go they has to pay
L10," said Mrs. Toff with great authority,--Mrs. Toff remembering that
a brother of hers, who had "forgotten himself in liquor" at the
Brotherton assizes, had been fined L10 for not answering to his name as
a juryman. "And then they don't really have to pay it," said Mrs. Toff,
who remembered also that the good-natured judge had not at last exacted
the penalty. But Lady Sarah could not look at the matter in that light.
She was sure that if a witness were really wanted, that witness could
not escape by paying a fine.

The next morning there came a heartrending letter from Aunt Ju. She was
very sorry that Lady George should have been so troubled;--but then let
them think of her trouble, of her misery! She was quite sure that it
would kill her,--and it would certainly rui