"Yes; Round and Crook are babies to you, Mr. Dockwrath;" and now Mr. Chaffanbrass began to pick at his chin with his finger, as he was accustomed to do when he warmed to his subject. "Babies to you! You have had a good deal to do with them, I should say, in getting up this case."
"I have had something to do with them."
"And very much they must have enjoyed your society, Mr. Dockwrath! And what wrinkles they must have learned from you! What a pleasant oasis it must have been in the generally somewhat dull course of their monotonous though profitable business! I quite envy Round and Crook having you alongside of them in their inner council-chamber."
"I know nothing about that, sir."
"No; I dare say you don't;—but they'll remember it. Well, when you'd turned over your father-in-law's papers for three days you found what you looked for?"
"Yes, I did."
"You had been tolerably sure that you would find it before you began, eh?"
"Well, I had expected that something would turn up."
"I have no doubt you did,—and something has turned up. That gentleman sitting next to you there,—who is he?"
"Joseph Mason, Esquire, of Groby Park," said Dockwrath.