proceedings of England and of the civilised world in general
could be reformed by his reading that book of his from the rostrum
in the hall at Birmingham! The civilised world in general, as there
represented, had been disgusted, and it was surmised that poor Dr.
Slotacher would find but a meagre audience when his turn came.

At last Mr. Furnival succeeded in hunting up Mr. Round, and found him
recruiting outraged nature with a glass of brandy and water and a
cigar. "Looking for me, have you? Well, here I am; that is to say,
what is left of me. Were you in the hall to-day?"

"No; I was up in town."

"Ah! that accounts for your being so fresh. I wish I had been there.
Do you ever do anything in this way?" and Mr. Round touched the
outside of his glass of toddy with his spoon. Mr. Furnival said that
he never did do anything in that way, which was true. Port wine was
his way, and it may be doubted whether on the whole it is not the
more dangerous way of the two. But Mr. Furnival, though he would
not drink brandy and water or smoke cigars, sat down opposite to Mr.
Round, and had soon broached the subject which was on his mind.

"Yes," said the attorney, "it is quite true that I had a letter on
the subject from Mr. Mason. The lady is not wrong in supposing that
some one is moving in the matter."

"And your client wishes you to take up the case again?"

"No doubt he does. He was not a man that I ever greatly liked, Mr.
Furnival, though I believe he means well. He thinks that he has been
ill used; and perhaps he was ill used--by his father."

"But that can be no possible reason for badgering the life out of his
father's widow twenty years after his father's death!"

"Of course he thinks that he has some new evidence. I can't say I
looked into the matter much myself. I did read the letter; but that
was all, and then I handed it to my son. As far as I remember, Mr.
Mason said that some attorney at Hamworth had been to him."

"Exactly; a low fellow whom you would be ashamed to see in your
office! He fancies that young Mason has injured him; and though he
has received numberless benefits from Lady Mason, this is the way in
which he chooses to be revenged on her son."

"We should have nothing to do with such a matter as that, you know.
It's not our line."

"No, of course it is not; I am well aware of that. And I am equally
well aware that nothing Mr. Mason can do can shake Lady Mason's
title, or rather her son's title,