Furnival in that
lawyer's chambers, which was by no means consoling to him, seeing
that Mr. Furnival had pooh-poohed him and his pretensions in a very
off-hand way; and he had since paid a very memorable visit to Mr.
Dockwrath in which he had hardly been more successful. Nevertheless,
he had gone to another lawyer. He had felt it impossible to remain
tranquil, pursuing the ordinary avocations of his life, while such
dreadful charges were being made openly against his mother, and
being so made without any authorised contradiction. He knew that she
was innocent. No doubt on that matter ever perplexed his mind for a
moment. But why was she such a coward that she would not allow him
to protect her innocence in the only way which the law permitted? He
could hardly believe that he had no power of doing so even without
her sanction; and therefore he went to another lawyer.

The other lawyer did him no good. It was not practicable that he, the
son, should bring an action for defamatory character on the part of
the mother, without that mother's sanction. Moreover, as this new
lawyer saw in a moment, any such interference on the part of Lucius,
and any interposition of fresh and new legal proceedings would
cripple and impede the advisers to whom Lady Mason had herself
confided her own case. The new lawyer could do nothing, and thus
Lucius, again repulsed, betook himself to Orley Farm in no happy
frame of mind.

For some day or two after this he did not see his mother. He would
not go down to The Cleeve, though they sent up and asked him; and she
was almost afraid to go across to the house and visit him. "He will
be in church on Sunday," she had said to Mrs. Orme. But he was not
in church on Sunday, and then on Sunday afternoon she did go to him.
This, it will be understood, was before Sir Peregrine had made his
offer, and therefore as to that, there was as yet no embarrassment on
the widow's mind.

"I cannot help feeling, mother," he said, after she had sat there
with him for a short time, "that for the present there is a division
between you and me."

"Oh, Lucius!"

"It is no use our denying it to ourselves. It is so. You are in
trouble, and you will not listen to my advice. You leave my house and
take to the roof of a new and an untried friend."

"No, Lucius; not that."

"Yes. I say a new friend. Twelve months ago, though you might call
there, you never did more than that--and even that but seldom. They
are new frien