Anthony Trollope

“ He rang the bell for Crabwitz—the peculiar bell which Crabwitz was bound to answer—having first of all gone through a little ceremony with his cheque-book. Crabwitz entered, still sulky in his demeanour, for as yet the old anger had not been appeased, and it was still a doubtful matter in the clerk's mind whether or no it might not be better for him to seek a master who would better appreciate his services. A more lucrative position it might be difficult for him to find; but money is not everything, as Crabwitz said to himself more than once. ”

“ It might be well to buy up Dockwrath, if it were possible. If it were possible! But then it was not possible that he himself could have a hand in such a matter. Could Crabwitz do it? No; he thought not. And then, at this moment, he was not certain that he could depend on Crabwitz.
And why should he trouble himself in this way? Mr. Furnival was a man loyal to his friends at heart. Had Lady Mason been a man, and had he pulled that man through great difficulties in early life, he would have been loyally desirous of carrying him through the same or similar difficulties at any after period. ”

“ Madeline sat perfectly tranquil stitching a collar. Upon her there was incumbent no duty of doing anything beyond that. But he was in a measure bound to talk. Had he dared to do so he also would have taken up a book; but that he knew to be impossible.
'Your brother will be down to-morrow,' he said at last.
'Yes; he is to go direct to Alston. He will be here in the evening,—to dinner.'
'Ah, yes; I suppose we shall all be late to-morrow.'
'Papa always is late when the assizes are going one,' said Madeline.
'Alston is not very far,' said Felix. ”

“ Felix felt that it was not open to him at the present moment to say anything further about Madeline; and though he was disappointed at this,—for he would have wished to go on talking about her all the evening—perhaps it was better for him. The judge would have said nothing further to encourage him, and he would have gradually been taught to think that his chance with Madeline was little, and then less. 'He must have been a fool,' my readers will say, 'not to have known that Madeline was now his own.' Probably. But then modest-minded young men are fools. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Or even if they could be mystified so that nothing could be proved, it would still be well with his client. Indeed no magistrate would commit such a person as Lady Mason, especially after so long an interval, and no grand jury would find a bill against her, except upon evidence that was clear, well defined, and almost indubitable. If any point of doubt could be shown, she might be brought off without a trial, if only she would be true to herself. ”

“ Furnival had become solid, and heavy, and red; and though he himself was solid, and heavy, and red also—more so, indeed, in proportion 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. ”

“ After another short interval Lady Staveley went to sleep. When Felix Graham had before been at Noningsby, she would have rebelled against nature with all her force rather than have slept while he was left to whisper what he would to her darling. But now he was authorized to whisper, and why should not Lady Staveley sleep if she wished it? She did sleep, and Felix was left alone with his love. ”

“ FELIX GRAHAM RETURNS TO NONINGSBY.
'If you love the man, let him come.' It was thus that the judge had declared to his daughter his opinion of what had better be done in that matter of Felix Graham. Then he had gone on to declare that he had given his permission to Felix Graham to say anything that he had got to say, and finally had undertaken to invite Felix Graham to spend the assize week at Noningsby. Of course in the mind of the judge all this amounted to an actual giving away of his daughter. ”

“ At last he contrived to bring the conversation round from the Birmingham congress to the affairs of his new client; and indeed he contrived to do so in spite of the judge, who was not particularly anxious to speak on the subject. 'After all that we said and did at Birmingham, it is odd that I should so soon find myself joined with Mr. Furnival.'
'Not at all odd. Of course you must take up your profession as others have taken it up before you. Very many young men dream of a Themis fit for Utopia. ”

“ But nevertheless she must tell her mother, and the dread of this telling weighed heavily upon her as she sat that night in the drawing-room reading the article which Felix had written.
But she need not have been under any alarm. Her father, when he told her to discuss the matter with her mother, had by no means intended to throw on her shoulders the burden of converting Lady Staveley to the Graham interest. He took care to do this himself effectually, so that in fact there should be no burden left for Madeline's shoulders. ”

“ Now another document was forthcoming, purporting to have been witnessed, on the same day, by these two surviving witnesses! If that document were genuine, and if these two survivors should be clear that they had written their names but once on that 14th of July, in such case could it be possible to quash further public inquiry? The criminal prosecution might not be possible as a first proceeding, but if the estate were recovered at common law, would not the criminal prosecution follow as a matter of course? ”

“ Motive enough there was, no doubt. Mason might have had it forged in order to get the property, or Dockwrath to gratify his revenge. But in such case it would be a forgery of the present day. There could have been no motive for such a forgery twenty years ago. ”

“ The happened two days before the commencement of the trial, and the day before that on which Graham was to arrive at Noningsby.
When Graham received the judge's note asking him to put up at Noningsby for the assize week, he was much astonished. It was very short.
'Dear Graham,
⁠'As you are coming down to Alston, special in Lady Mason's case, you may as well come and stay here. Lady Staveley bids me say that she will be delighted. Your elder brethren will no doubt go back to London each night, so that you will not be expected to remain with them. ”

“ He lives I know at Hamworth.'
'It's he you mean, sir, that is meddling in this affair of Lady Mason's.'
'What! you have heard of that; have you?'
'Oh! yes, sir. It's being a good deal talked about in the profession. Messrs. Round and Crook's leading young man was up here with me the other day, and he did say a good deal about it. He's a very decent young man, considering his position, is Smart.'
'And he knows Dockwrath, does he?'
'Well, sir, I can't say that he knows much of the man; but Dockwrath has been at their place of business pretty constant of late, and he and Mr. ”

“ It would be necessary, if the ease did come to a trial, that she should employ some attorney. The matter must come into the barrister's hands in the usual way, through a solicitor's house, and it would be well that the person employed should have a firm faith in his client. ”

“ But, Madeline, I suppose it's all the same. He asked papa for permission to speak to you, and your papa has given it.'
'I'm sure I don't know, mamma.'
It was a quarter of an hour after that when Lady Staveley again returned to the subject. 'I am sure Mr. Graham is very clever, and all that.'
'Papa says that he is very clever indeed.'
'I'm quite sure he is, and he makes himself very nice in the house, always talking when there are people to dinner. Mr. ”

“ Arbuthnot has got a very nice place in Warwickshire, and they say he'll come in for the county some day.'
'Of course, mamma, if there should be anything of that sort, we should not be rich people, like Isabella and Mr. ”