Mr Scales, with some impatience, "I don't pretend to know."
"It was law — law — that's what it was. Not but what the Transomes always won."
"And always lost," said the too-ready Scales.
"Yes, yes; I think we all know the nature of law."
"There was the last suit of all made the most noise, as I understood," continued Mr Crowder; "but it wasn't tried hereabout. They said there was a deal o' false swearing. Some young man pretended to be the true heir — let me see — I can't justly remember the names — he'd got two. He swore he was one man, and they swore he was another. However, Lawyer Jermyn won it — they say he'd win a game against the Old One himself — and the young fellow turned out to be a scamp. Stop a bit — his name was Scaddon — Henry Scaddon."
Mr Christian here let a lemon slip from his hand into the punch-bowl with a plash which sent some of the nectar into the company's faces.
"Hallo! What a bungler I am!" he said, looking as if he were quite jarred by this unusual awkwardness of his. "Go on with your tale, Mr Crowder — a scamp named Harry Scaddon."
"Well, that's the tale," said Mr Crowder. "He
