"Then the people at Round's know nothing about it. But Lady Mason is so averse to legal proceedings that it would be worth her while to have matters settled. You understand?"
"Yes, sir; I understand. Would not an attorney be the best person, sir?"
"Not just at present, Crabwitz. Lady Mason is a very dear friend of mine—"
"Yes, sir; we know that," said Crabwitz.
"If you could make any pretence for running down to Hamworth—change of air, you know, for a week or so. It's a beautiful country; just the place you like. And you might find out whether anything could be done, eh?"
Mr. Crabwitz was well aware, from the first, that he did not get fifty pounds for nothing.
CHAPTER XXVI.
WHY SHOULD I NOT?
A day or two after his conversation with Crabwitz, as described in the last chapter, Mr. Furnival was driven up to the door of Sir Peregrine Orme's house in a Hamworth fly. He had come over by train from Alston on purpose to see the baronet, whom he found seated in his library. At that very moment he was again asking himself those questions which he had before asked as he was walking up and down his own dining-room. "Why should I not?" he said to himself,—"unless, indeed, it will make her unhappy." And then the barrister was shown into his room, muffled up to his eyes in his winter clothing.