important witness should fall to him; but he is highly connected -he is son of the Chancellor's nephew, and we must have him. Well, then, there is Mr. Thrust, a complete fire-eater, who will keep down the bullying and Billingsgate of Slapper whang on the other side; then our leaders, who understand the case, and are good lawyers, must be both engaged, so that there are four of them to fee."

"There are Trumbo, Trifle, and Thrust," said Mrs. Norberry; "who the fourth is I really forget just now."

"I am sure you do not forget our sleek and oily-tongued little friend, Counsellor Glendelough."

"You are right," said Mrs. Norberry, "and if I mistake not he is the best hearted of the whole party."

"And not the worst lawyer," added Fisher.

Mrs. Norberry proceeded first to the house of Mr. Trifle, who heard her story with apparent indifference, and counting over the fee, attempted to perpetrate a pun, by observing that she brought him a sum to correspond with his name.

Mrs. Norberry was going to add, “and with his ability," but prudence restrained her.

She next went to the house of Thrust, who heard her story with somewhat more attention, took the fee and put it in his pocket, observing, in answer to her excuse for the smallness of the amount, that he never counted money when receiving it. He promised to be at his post, and to keep some of the ill-tongued rascals on the other side in order.

Her next visit was to Counsellor Glendelough, and her interview with him was of the most satisfactory character. He refused positively to take any fee, but on the contrary, insisted that the boy, little Bob, who accompanied his mother, and whose dress was not of the best description, should take a present of two pounds from him, not to be repaid till he came of age and was in full possession of his property.

"This kindness overpowers me," said Mrs. Norberry; "I am unable to express the feelings of my heart-you will have your reward."

"I feel the deepest sympathy for you," said the worthy counsellor, "and for your charming boy; I hope I may yet see him a member of my own profession."

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No," said Mrs. Norberry, in a low tone of voice, pointing to a jet cross that was suspended from her neck, "he is intended for a more sacred profession. I have long since promised that he shall be a She looked at the boy and left the sentence unfinished.

"I understand you," said Mr. Glendelough; "I hope he shall be worthy of the high calling for which he is intended."

Mrs. Norberry turned up her eyes to Heaven and was silent.

"Touching this protracted suit," continued the worthy counsellor, "I have to observe that since courts of law and equity were first instituted, a more flagrant instance of oppression and violation of every principle of justice was never heard of than your case presents, and it would be well if some means were taken to bring at least a portion of it before the public. I will write to my friend Mr. Decimus, who is editor and proprietor of the requesting that he may send a reporter to take a note of the proceedings, and publish them; the fear of exposure often does more to correct abuses and restrain judicial delinquency than acts of parliament. I regret now that this course was not adopted sooner; we shall at least have the satisfaction of putting the leading facts before the public, and public opinion is a tribunal which even the high court of Chancery dare not disregard. I will be at my post, and we will have a field day of it, at this, I hope, final hearing. I hope, too," said he, "that all the facts of your case shall be brought before parliament. I have requested of Mr. Trumbo to do so, and as he is a man who speaks well, and delights in having a good cause of complaint against persons in high judicial stations, I have no doubt that he shall take up the matter with right good will, and make St. Stephen's ring with his eloquence on the occasion; perhaps when you call on him to-day it would be well to remind him of his promise, and tell him that I shall take the trouble to make out a summary of the facts and direct his attention to such documents as will prove them. Delinquency, even in high quarters, cannot always escape unpunished, and nothing can be greater punishment than exposure, the first step to which will be the publication of the proceedings in the Court of Chancery. I will take care of that, too, and shall write this moment to my friend to have a reporter in court, who can give a good graphic account of the whole proceedings."

Mrs. Norberry bade her kind-hearted advocate a good-bye, with many prayers for his happiness, and proceeded to the house of Trumbo, who, upon hearing that Mrs. Norberry wished to see him, desired that she should be sent into his study. It was the first time that the worthy counsellor had seen his client, and he started in amazement at her beauty and majestic deportment. She led her son by the hand, and whilst she stated her case with an earnest simplicity far surpassing the most impassioned eloquence, he continued to view her with increased admiration. She laid the fee on his desk, promising at the same time that should the suit be terminated in her favour she would take care that he should be amply recompensed; he took the money up and put it in his pocket, observing that no matter how small the sum was coming from such hands he was contented with it; he promised, too, that he would bring her case before parliament.

CHAPTER XII.

ABSENCE OF LEADING COUNSEL AT THE HEARING-STRANGE SCENES IN THE COURTS-A PARTIAL DECREE MADE IN FAVOUR OF THE NORBERRYS SOME REFLECTIONS ON A GENERAL SYSTEM OF EDUCATION FOR THE HUMBLE CLASSES -O'KELLY VISITS LORD STRANGEWAY.

ARRANGEMENTS having been so far satisfactorily made for the further prosecution of the suit, Mrs. Norberry returned home with a light heart, and told her father the generous conduct of Mr. Glendelough, and added that she felt a presentiment of a happy result from the approaching hearing. She also said that the returned fee and the present made to Bob were sufficient to purchase dress for herself and him, and that they would appear in the gallery of the court on the day of hearing, pursuant to the directions of her solicitors.

"The day of trial," as Mrs. Norberry called it, arrived; the defendants were wholly unprepared for any further appearance on the part of the plaintiffs, and they came into court in the full expectation of hearing judgment pronounced in their favour; but they were all put upon the qui vive upon seeing Mrs. Norberry and her son seated on the gallery.

"They are not vanquished yet," said Counsellor Swivel to one of the defendants who sat beside him.

"They must be supplied with money by some invisible agency," said the client; "it is not more than a week ago since I had it from good authority that both themselves and their attorneys were completely ruined."

At this moment Counsellor Thrust walked into court, and addressing Swivel, said, "Another fight for it yet, Mr. Swivel; my clients, you see, are still in the field, and this I promise you will be no ordinary encounter."

"Run for Slapperwhang," said Swivel to his client, "and bring him in at once."

"Yes," said Thrust, "you will want him I promise you, and it may be useful to state that I am here on the other side: he will know what you mean."

Slapperwhang told me he could not come here to-day," rejoined Swivel's client; "he is leading counsel in an issue now going on in the King's Bench: he said he would not be wanted here to-day, as the plaintiff would not appear."

In a few moments after Mr.Glendelough entered, and unfolded a huge brief endorsed Norberry a minor v. Swingsnap and others. After this no doubt existed that the plaintiff was determined to fight the battle, and messengers were despatched in all directions to collect the defendants' counsel; in a word, terror and consternation were spread in the enemy's camp. The chancellor soon after entered and said:

"There is that very heavy case of Norberry and others that stands over for a final hearing. I need not ask are the parties ready, for I am determined that it shall be disposed of in some way this day."

"Thank you, my lord," said Mr. Glendelough, who had previously observed how the land lay on the other side.

"I thought you were for the plaintiff," said his lordship; "at least you were when the case was on last."

"And am at present, my lord," replied Glendelough.

"And do you wish that the case should be finally disposed of to-day? are you ready to proceed on the part of your clients ?" inquired his lordship.

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Perfectly," replied Glendalough.

"I fear we are not ready on the part of the defendants," said Swivel.

"You must make yourselves ready," said Glendelough, “ for his lordship has expressed his determination to dispose of the case to-day: his lordship's word is pledged to that effect."

"I did not know," said his lordship, "that the parties were not prepared."

"My lord, you did not inquire when you said you would decide it to-day on the contrary, your lordship said, that you would not make any inquiry on the subject, as you were determined that judgment in the matter should be no longer deferred."

"I have no recollection," said his lordship, "of having made such a declaration; I believe I said that it was not necessary to inquire if the parties were ready, taking it for granted that they

Here there was some noise caused in the court by an attempt made to disturb a gentleman from his place at the table under the bench, who had been industriously engaged in writing down something in a most unintelligible kind of hieroglyphics: his hand was going as if propelled by a high-pressure engine, and yet he seemed as much at ease as if he was but a mere spectator of what was passing in court.

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Tipstaff," said the chancellor's secretary, who was at the desk under the bench, "what noise is that? remove any one who attempts to disturb the court."

"I can answer," said Glendelough, "why this unseemly interruption has taken place. I see at the table a gentleman

connected with the press, who has come here for the purpose of reporting the case which your lordship is about to decide, and a most improper attempt has been made to remove him from his place, and prevent him taking notes.'

"A gentleman of the press!" said his lordship, "a gentleman of the press going to publish the proceedings in this cause-to publish the judgment; it is not customary to publish the proceedings in courts of equity-eh, is it so? A gentleman of the press, from a newspaper I suppose, going to publish the proceedings !"

"Yes, my lord, from a newspaper," said Glendelough. "What paper, may I ask ?" said his lordship.

"The," replied Glendelough, "of which my friend Mr. Decimus is editor; and the case will be copied from that into all the other papers of the three kingdoms, for it is particularly noted for the excellence of its law reports."

"I wish it would confine itself to law reporting," said his lordship, "and not mind equity. I believe equity reports rarely appear in newspapers."

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Very few equity cases of such an extraordinary character as this occur, and when they do, it is due to the public to be made acquainted with them. In London the proceedings in the chancellor's and vice-chancellor's courts are all published, and special accommodation provided for the gentlemen of the press.'

"I can have no objection to the publication of proceedings here," said his lordship: "let the reporter not be disturbed from his place. Call on the case."

The old crier, with the same shrill and drawling voice with which he had so often repeated the same words, called out"Norberry a minor v. Swingsnap and others."

"Call Counsellor Trumbo," said Glendelough; "he leads for the plaintiff."

Trumbo was called, but did not appear, and Mrs. Norberry, who was in the gallery anxiously watching all that was passing underneath, took her boy by the hand, and ran into the hall to look for him. She found him engaged in conversation with two or three other barristers, and in the excitement and anxiety of the moment she ran up to him, pulled him by the gown, and exclaimed: "Oh, sir, my name is called, and as you are my leading counsel, if you do not come into court I will be ruined. Come, for Heaven's sake, come; your name has been called several times by the crier.'

Trumbo looked round at his client with a scowl as brutal and heartless as his smiles affected to be bland and courteous on the day she called at his office, and said: "Begone, woman: how dare you interrupt me whilst engaged in conversation ?"

Mrs. Norberry was not the woman to quail beneath unmerited