'And now I suppose we might as well go at once,' said Peregrine, with a very serious face.
'Yes,' said the other; 'there's nothing to delay us. I cannot tell you how much obliged I am to you for coming with me.'
'Oh, don’t say anything about that; of course I'm only too happy.' But all the same he felt that his heart was beating, and that he was a little nervous. Had he been called upon to go in and thrash somebody, he would have been quite at home; but he did not feel at his ease in making an inimical visit to an attorney's office.
It would have been wise, perhaps, if in this matter Lucius had submitted himself to Lady Mason's wishes. On the previous evening they had talked the matter over with much serious energy. Lucius had been told in the streets of Hamworth by an inter-meddling little busybody of an apothecary that it behoved him to do something, as Mr. Dockwrath was making grevious accusations against his mother. Lucius had replied haughtily, that he and his mother would know how to protect themselves, and the apothecary had retreated, resolving to spread the report everywhere. Lucius on his return home had declared to the unfortunate lady that she had now no alternative left to her. She must bring an action against the man, or at any rate put the matter into the hands of a lawyer with a view of ascertaining whether she could do so with any chance of success. If she could not, she must then make known her reason for remaining quiet. In answer to this, Lady Mason had begun by praying her son to allow the matter to pass by.
'But it will not pass by,' Lucius had said.
'Yes, dearest, if we leave it, it will,—in a month or two. We can do nothing by interference. Remember the old saying, You cannot touch pitch without being defiled.'
But Lucius had replied, almost with anger, that the pitch had already touched him, and that he was defiled. 'I cannot consent to hold the property,' he had said, 'unless something be done.' And then his mother had bowed her head as she sat, and had covered her face with her hands.
'I shall go to the man myself,' Lucius had declared with energy.
'As your mother, Lucius, implore you not to do so,' she had said to him through her tears.
'I must either do that or leave the country. It is impossible that I should live here, hearing such things said of you, and doing nothing to clear your name.' To this she had made no actual reply, and now he was standing at the attorney's door about to do that which he had threatened.
They found Mr. Dockwrath sitting at his desk at the other side of which was seated his clerk. He had not yet promoted himself to the dignity of a private office, but generally used his parlour as
