y dear!" exclaimed Mrs. Mason.

"There is nothing here for him to eat," repeated Mr. Mason. "And
as far as I can see there is nothing there either. What is it you
pretend to have in that dish?"

"My dear!" again exclaimed Mrs. Mason.

"What is it?" repeated the lord of the house in an angry tone.

"Broiled ham, Mr. Mason."

"Then let the ham be brought in," said he. "Diana, ring the bell."

"But the ham is not cooked, Mr. Mason," said the lady. "Broiled ham
is always better when it has not been first boiled."

"Is there no cold meat in the house?" he asked.

"I am afraid not," she replied, now trembling a little in
anticipation of what might be coming after the stranger should have
gone. "You never like large joints yourself, Mr. Mason; and for
ourselves we don't eat meat at luncheon."

"Nor anybody else either, here," said Mr. Mason in his anger.

"Pray don't mind me, Mr. Mason," said the attorney, "pray don't, Mr.
Mason. I am a very poor fist at lunch; I am indeed."

"I am sure I am very sorry, very sorry, Mr. Mason," continued the
lady. "If I had known that an early dinner was required, it should
have been provided;--although the notice given was so very short."

"I never dine early," said Mr. Dockwrath, thinking that some
imputation of a low way of living was conveyed in this supposition
that he required a dinner under the pseudonym of a lunch. "I never
do, upon my word--we are quite regular at home at half-past five, and
all I ever take in the middle of the day is a biscuit and a glass of
sherry,--or perhaps a bite of bread and cheese. Don't be uneasy about
me, Mrs. Mason."

The three young ladies, having now finished their repast, got up from
the table and retired, following each other out of the room in a
line. Mrs. Mason remained for a minute or two longer, and then she
also went. "The carriage has been ordered at three, Mr. M.," she
said. "Shall we have the pleasure of your company?" "No," growled
the husband. And then the lady went, sweeping a low curtsy to Mr.
Dockwrath as she passed out of the room.

There was again a silence between the host and his guest for some two
or three minutes, during which Mr. Mason was endeavouring to get the
lunch out of his head, and to redirect his whole mind to Lady Mason
and his hopes of vengeance. There is nothing perhaps so generally
consoling to a man as a well-established grievance; a feeling of
having been injured, on which his mind can brood from hour t