at it was so."

"I do not presume anything of the kind, and never shall. I was an
infant and you were a woman,--a woman at that time without many
friends, and he thought that he could rob us under cover of the law.
Had he been commonly honest it would have been enough for him to
know what had been my father's wishes, even if the will had not been
rigidly formal. I look upon him as a robber and a thief."

"I am sorry for that, Lucius, because I differ from you. What I wish
to tell you now is this,--that he is thinking of trying the question
again."

"What!--thinking of another trial now?" and Lucius Mason pushed his
drawings and books from him with a vengeance.

"So I am told."

"And who told you? I cannot believe it, If he intended anything of
the kind I must have been the first person to hear of it. It would be
my business now, and you may be sure that he would have taken care to
let me know his purpose."

And then by degrees she explained to him that the man himself, Mr.
Mason of Groby, had as yet declared no such purpose. She had intended
to omit all mention of the name of Mr. Dockwrath, but she was unable
to do so without seeming to make a mystery with her son. When she
came to explain how the rumour had arisen and why she had thought it
necessary to tell him this, she was obliged to say that it had all
arisen from the wrath of the attorney. "He has been to Groby Park,"
she said, "and now that he has returned he is spreading this report."

"I shall go to him to-morrow," said Lucius, very sternly.

"No, no; you must not do that. You must promise me that you will not
do that."

"But I shall. You cannot suppose that I shall allow such a man as
that to tamper with my name without noticing it! It is my business
now."

"No, Lucius. The attack will be against me rather than you;--that is,
if an attack be made. I have told you because I do not like to have a
secret from you."

"Of course you have told me. If you are attacked who should defend
you, if I do not?"

"The best defence, indeed the only defence till they take some active
step, will be silence. Most probably they will not do anything,
and then we can afford to live down such reports as these. You can
understand, Lucius, that the matter is grievous enough to me; and I
am sure that for my sake you will not make it worse by a personal
quarrel with such a man as that."

"I shall go to Mr. Furnival," said he, "and ask his advice."

"I have done that