“What’s the reason, Lizzie?”

“I don’t know! —­ how should I?”

“I am sure I can’t tell,” said Rose, “but I didn’t know but you did.  I wish you’d ask him to come again, Mr. Haye —­ do you know how he is getting up in the world?”

“I know how cotton is falling,” said Mr. Haye, swallowing his tea and the newspaper apparently both at the same time.

“Cotton! —­” said Rose.  “Now Mr. Haye, just put down that paper and listen to me; —­ do you know how Winthrop Landholm is holding his head up?”

“No,” said Mr. Haye, looking at the pretty little head which was holding itself up, over against him.

“Well, he is.  You didn’t hear what Mr. Satterthwaite was saying about him last night, did you?”

“I didn’t hear Mr. Satterthwaite say anything.”

“Well he says he’s had quite a great cause come on, now, just a few days ago —­”

“Who has?  Mr. Satterthwaite?”

“Why no, Mr. Haye! —­ of course! —­ I mean Mr. Landholm has —­ a cause that he was to argue, you know —­ that’s what I mean —­ before Chancellor Justice —­ and Mr. Satterthwaite says he did it splendidly! —­ he said everybody stood and looked; —­ and the Chancellor gave him everything he asked for —­ made all his exceptions, he said, whatever that means —­”

“Allowed his exceptions,” said Elizabeth.

“O you could listen when Mr. Satterthwaite was speaking of Winthrop Landholm!”

“Mr. Satterthwaite don’t often have so good a subject.  I listened certainly, and was very much interested; —­ the only time I ever remember Mr. Satterthwaite’s saying anything I cared to hear.”

“Well, now, Mr. Haye, why isn’t it just as well to say ’made an exception,’ as ‘allowed an exception’?  I don’t think ‘allowed an exception’ is good English.”

“It is good law English, I suppose, Rose.”

“Well, I don’t care —­ at any rate, he said the Chancellor allowed every one of Mr. Landholm’s exceptions, —­ suppose you understand it; —­ and wouldn’t allow a single thing to Mr. Brick; and Mr. Brick was the lawyer on the other side; and Mr. Satterthwaite said it was a great triumph for Mr. Landholm.”

“Dustus O. Brick?” said Mr. Haye.

“Yes,” said Elizabeth.

“I don’t know,” said Rose; “he said Mr. Brick, —­ or the noted Mr. Brick —­ I suppose that’s the man.”

“Dustus O. Brick!” said Mr. Haye —­ “he’s one of the best men in the bar, and a very clever man too; a distinguished lawyer; there’s no one more thought of.”

“That’s what Mr. Satterthwaite said, —­ he said so, —­ he said it was a great triumph for Mr. Landholm; —­ and now Mr. Haye, won’t you ask him to come here again as he used to?”

“Who?”

“Winthrop Landholm.”

“What for?”

“Why I want to see him —­ and so do you, Mr. Haye.  Now Mr. Haye, won’t you? —­ Though I don’t know but Elizabeth would be the best one to ask him.”