"But what's it all about, Betty? Dear me, if being in love makes a woman so tiresome as you are, I hope such a calamity will never befall me. What _has_ Mr. Pinder done?" "Oh!" said Betty, "there's no hope o' yo'r escapin' it unless so be as yo'r minded to play a very one-sided game. But if yo' ax me what th' law stir's abaat, as far as aw can mak' aat th' _mester_ says it's abaat th' watter-reets to th' mill, but _folk_ sen it's nowt but spite, so nah yo' han it plump an' fair." "Meaning that my uncle has gone to law with his former apprentice from some petty feeling of jealousy, or just to cripple him or even ruin him?" "That's th' talk o'th village, choose ha." "Well, I don't believe it, Betty. My uncle is incapable of such conduct. But I'll soon find out for myself. Get me my hat and cape this moment. I'm going out." And Dorothy walked with quick, resolute steps to Ben Garside's house. She was fortunate enough to find Lucy alone, and of this she was glad, for she was in no humour to enjoy Hannah's garrulous speech. "What's this I hear, Lucy, about my uncle going to law with Mr. Pinder. I can make neither head nor tail of Betty at home, so I've come to you. It seems to me there's something about law that forbids people to be intelligible when they're talking of it?" "Your uncle," said Lucy very gravely, "has served a Bill in Chancery, I think they call it, on Tom." "What in the name of common sense is a Bill in Chancery? I know what a dressmaker's bill is, but the other variety is beyond me." "I don't quite know all the ins and outs of it," replied Lucy, still very seriously. "But so far as I can make out your uncle complains that Tom fouls the stream and takes more water out than he's any right to, and of course as Wilberlee is lower down the stream it must injure your uncle if it's true." "And is it true?" asked Dorothy. "Both Tom and father say there isn't a word of truth in it." "And you believe them?" "Of course I do," said Lucy simply. "Then what is there to look so gloomy about? 'Pon my word, Lucy, if you go on in the dumps like that I'll shake you. I only wish somebody would bring a false charge against me. There's nothing I should enjoy more than making them prove their words at no end of trouble and expense, and then laughing at the faces they'd pull when they failed to do it. If that's Chancery I call Chancery a very good joke." "Aye, but Tom says it will take all they have in the world to prove that they're in the right, and that month after month, for goodness knows how long, the money that should go for wages and in carrying on the mill must go to their lawyer. So it means ruin, win or lose." "And that's what they call law, is it?" exclaimed Dorothy. "Anybody could see a set of men noodles made it. But what are they going to do?"