ion than his poor
wife, for his redness, as I have said before, had almost reached a
purple hue; nevertheless his eye loved to look upon the beauty of a
lovely woman, his ear loved to hear the tone of her voice, and his
hand loved to meet the soft ripeness of her touch. It was very wrong
that it should have been so, but the case is not without a parallel.

And therefore he made up his mind that he would not desert Lady
Mason. He would not desert her; but how would he set about the
fighting that would be necessary in her behalf? He was well aware of
this, that if he fought at all, he must fight now. It would not do to
let the matter go on till she should be summoned to defend herself.
Steps which might now be available would be altogether unavailable in
two or three months' time--would be so, perhaps, if he allowed two or
three weeks to pass idly by him. Mr. Round, luckily, was not disposed
to hurry his proceedings; nor, as far as he was concerned, was there
any bitterness of antagonism. But with both Mason and Dockwrath there
would be hot haste, and hotter malice. From those who were really her
enemies she could expect no quarter.

He was to return on that evening to Noningsby, and on the following
day he would go over to The Cleeve. He knew that Lady Mason was
staying there; but his object in making that visit would not be
merely that he might see her, but also that he might speak to Sir
Peregrine, and learn how far the baronet was inclined to support
his neighbour in her coming tribulation. He would soon be able to
ascertain what Sir Peregrine really thought--whether he suspected the
possibility of any guilt; and he would ascertain also what was the
general feeling in the neighbourhood of Hamworth. It would be a great
thing if he could spread abroad a conviction that she was an injured
woman. It would be a great thing even if he could make it known that
the great people of the neighbourhood so thought. The jurymen of
Alston would be mortal men; and it might be possible that they should
be imbued with a favourable bias on the subject before they assembled
in their box for its consideration.

He wished that he knew the truth in the matter; or rather he wished
he could know whether or no she were innocent, without knowing
whether or no she were guilty. The fight in his hands would be
conducted on terms so much more glorious if he could feel sure of her
innocence. But then if he attempted that, and she were not innocen