"There can be nothing of the sort," said the judge. "I should think that young Mason is not so foolish; and I am sure that Peregrine Orme is not."
"I have not heard of anything of the kind," said Peregrine, laughing.
"Promise me, Peregrine," said his mother. "Say that you promise me."
"My dearest mother, I have no more thought of it than you have;—indeed I may say not so much."
"You will be back to dinner?" said Lady Staveley.
"Oh yes, certainly."
"And tell Mr. Mason," said the judge, "that if he will return with you we shall be delighted to see him."
The errand which took Peregrine Orme off to Hamworth will be explained in the next chapter, but his going led to a discussion among the gentlemen after dinner as to the position in which Lady Mason was now placed. There was no longer any possibility of keeping the matter secret, seeing that Mr. Dockwrath had taken great care that every one in Hamworth should hear of it. He had openly declared that evidence would now be adduced to prove that Sir Joseph Mason's widow had herself forged the will, and had said to many people that Mr. Mason of Groby had determined to indict her for forgery. This had gone so far that Lucius had declared as openly that he would prosecute the attorney for a libel, and Dockwrath had sent him word that he was quite welcome to do so if he pleased.
"It is a scandalous state of things," said Sir Peregrine, speaking with much enthusiasm, and no little temper, on the subject. "Here is a question which was settled twenty years ago to the satisfaction of every one who knew anything of the case, and now it is brought up again that two men may wreak their vengeance on a poor widow. They are not men; they are brutes."
"But why does she not bring an action against this attorney?" said young Staveley.