t of Lady Mary, which led to disputes between herself and her
husband. Altogether the domestic establishment at Hendon was not a
harmonious one, but the means of the family were insufficient to admit
of the keeping up of two separate households. The true remedy for such a
state of things lay in the exercise of a spirit of mutual
forbearance--an exercise to which Lady Mary, at least, seems to have
been little accustomed. Under such ominous auspices was the Willis
household transferred from Hendon to Upper Canada.

The Willises reached the Upper Province on the 17th of September, and on
the following day the new judge proceeded to Stamford Cottage, the
summer residence of the Lieutenant-Governor, in the Niagara District.
Having presented the royal warrant for his appointment, together with
certain other documents, he was cordially received by Sir Peregrine. He
dined and spent the evening at the Cottage. In the course of
conversation he referred to the project of establishing a Court of
Equity--which by this time was no secret--and was surprised to find that
the theme was distasteful to his host, who, in a tone not to be
misunderstood, remarked: "Sir, you have not got your Court of Equity
yet." "The words," wrote Mr. Willis,[96] "made some impression at the
time, and subsequent events tended to throw further light upon their
meaning."

Upon his arrival at York, on the 20th, Mr. Willis was welcomed with
apparent cordiality by the judiciary, the bar, and society generally.
The leaders of local fashion vied with each other in their attentions
to the ladies of the family, more especially to Lady Mary, who was
almost overwhelmed with civilities. The new judge was sworn in on the
11th of October. He entered with avidity upon the duties of his office,
and also made himself conspicuous in society, where he was from the
first regarded in the light of a decided acquisition. He entered with
keen zest into plans for party-giving and entertaining, and evidently
derived heartfelt pleasure from receiving and dispensing courteous
hospitalities. He attended several public meetings which had been called
for charitable and other purposes, at all of which he spoke with what
was considered a somewhat perfervid eloquence. In a word, he not only
took the rank to which he was entitled by virtue of his office, but
jumped at once into the position of a leader of society and social
movements. His name was on everybody's lips. Persons to the manner