Whenshetookthebabyaway，theladysaidtome，laughing，"Don’tbealarmedabouthishealth。Hewillbebroughtupinabetterclimatethanthis——IamgoingtotakehimtoSwitzerland。"
"ToSwitzerland？WhatpartofSwitzerland？"
"Shedidn’tsay，sir。"
"Onlythatfaintclue！"saidMr。Wilding。"Andaquarterofacenturyhaspassedsincethechildwastakenaway！WhatamItodo？"
"Ihopeyouwon’ttakeoffenceatmyfreedom，sir，"saidMrs。
Goldstraw;"butwhyshouldyoudistressyourselfaboutwhatistobedone？Hemaynotbealivenow，foranythingyouknow。And，ifheisalive，it’snotlikelyhecanbeinanydistress。The，ladywhoadoptedhimwasabredandbornlady——itwaseasytoseethat。AndshemusthavesatisfiedthemattheFoundlingthatshecouldprovideforthechild，ortheywouldneverhavelethertakehimaway。IfI
wasinyourplace，sir——pleasetoexcusemysayingso——IshouldcomfortmyselfwithrememberingthatIhadlovedthatpoorladywhoseportraityouhavegotthere——trulylovedherasmymother，andthatshehadtrulylovedmeasherson。Allshegavetoyou，shegaveforthesakeofthatlove。Itneveralteredwhileshelived;
anditwon’talter，I’msure，aslongasYOUlive。Howcanyouhaveabetterright，sir，tokeepwhatyouhavegotthanthat？"
Mr。Wilding’simmovablehonestysawthefallacyinhishouse—
keeper’spointofviewataglance。
"Youdon’tunderstandme，"hesaid。"It’sBECAUSEIlovedherthatIfeelitaduty——asacredduty——todojusticetoherson。Ifheisalivingman，Imustfindhim：formyownsake，aswellasforhis。
Ishallbreakdownunderthisdreadfultrial，unlessIemploymyself——actively，instantlyemploymyself——indoingwhatmyconsciencetellsmeoughttobedone。Imustspeaktomylawyer;I
mustsetmylawyeratworkbeforeIsleepto—night。"Heapproachedatubeinthewalloftheroom，andcalleddownthroughittotheofficebelow。"Leavemeforalittle，Mrs。Goldstraw，"heresumed;
"Ishallbemorecomposed，Ishallbebetterabletospeaktoyoulaterintheday。Weshallgetonwell——Ihopeweshallgetonwelltogether——inspiteofwhathashappened。Itisn’tyourfault;I
knowitisn’tyourfault。There！there！shakehands;and——anddothebestyoucaninthehouse——Ican’ttalkaboutitnow。"
ThedooropenedasMrs。Goldstrawadvancedtowardsit;andMr。
Jarvisappeared。
"SendforMr。Bintrey，"saidthewine—merchant。"SayIwanttoseehimdirectly。"
Theclerkunconsciouslysuspendedtheexecutionoftheorder，byannouncing"Mr。Vendale，"andshowinginthenewpartnerinthefirmofWildingandCo。
"Prayexcusemeforonemoment，GeorgeVendale，"saidWilding。"I
haveawordtosaytoJarvis。SendforMr。Bintrey，"herepeated——
"sendatonce。"
Mr。Jarvislaidaletteronthetablebeforehelefttheroom。
"FromourcorrespondentsatNeuchatel，Ithink，sir。TheletterhasgottheSwisspostmark。"
NEWCHARACTERSONTHESCENE
Thewords，"TheSwissPostmark，"followingsosoonuponthehousekeeper’sreferencetoSwitzerland，wroughtMr。Wilding’sagitationtosucharemarkableheight，thathisnewpartnercouldnotdecentlymakeapretenceoflettingitpassunnoticed。
"Wilding，"heaskedhurriedly，andyetstoppingshortandglancingaroundasifforsomevisiblecauseofhisstateofmind："whatisthematter？"
"MygoodGeorgeVendale，"returnedthewine—merchant，givinghishandwithanappealinglook，ratherasifhewantedhelptogetoversomeobstacle，thanasifhegaveitinwelcomeorsalutation："mygoodGeorgeVendale，somuchisthematter，thatIshallneverbemyselfagain。ItisimpossiblethatIcaneverbemyselfagain。
For，infact，Iamnotmyself。"
Thenewpartner，abrown—cheekedhandsomefellow，ofabouthisownage，withaquickdeterminedeyeandanimpulsivemanner，retortedwithnaturalastonishment："Notyourself？"
"NotwhatIsupposedmyselftobe，"saidWilding。
"What，inthenameofwonder，DIDyousupposeyourselftobethatyouarenot？"wastherejoinder，deliveredwithacheerfulfrankness，invitingconfidencefromamorereticentman。"Imayaskwithoutimpertinence，nowthatwearepartners。"
"Thereagain！"criedWilding，leaningbackinhischair，withalostlookattheother。"Partners！Ihadnorighttocomeintothisbusiness。Itwasnevermeantforme。Mymothernevermeantitshouldbemine。Imean，hismothermeantitshouldbehis——ifI
meananything——orifIamanybody。"
"Come，come，"urgedhispartner，afteramoment’spause，andtakingpossessionofhimwiththatcalmconfidencewhichinspiresastrongnaturewhenithonestlydesirestoaidaweakone。"Whateverhasgonewrong，hasgonewrongthroughnofaultofyours，Iamverysure。Iwasnotinthiscounting—housewithyou，undertheoldregime，forthreeyears，todoubtyou，Wilding。Wewerenotyoungermenthanweare，together，forthat。Letmebeginourpartnershipbybeingaserviceablepartner，andsettingrightwhateveriswrong。
Hasthatletteranythingtodowithit？"
"Hah！"saidWilding，withhishandtohistemple。"Thereagain！Myhead！Iwasforgettingthecoincidence。TheSwisspostmark。"
"AtasecondglanceIseethattheletterisunopened，soitisnotverylikelytohavemuchtodowiththematter，"saidVendale，withcomfortingcomposure。"Isitforyou，orforus？"
"Forus，"saidWilding。
"SupposeIopenitandreaditaloud，togetitoutofourway？"
"Thankyou，thankyou。"
"Theletterisonlyfromourchampagne—makingfriends，thehouseatNeuchatel。’DearSir。Weareinreceiptofyoursofthe28thult。，informingusthatyouhavetakenyourMr。Vendaleintopartnership，whereonwebegyoutoreceivetheassuranceofourfelicitations。
PermitustoembracetheoccasionofspeciallycommandingtoyouM。
JulesObenreizer。’Impossible！"
Wildinglookedupinquickapprehension，andcried，"Eh？"
"Impossiblesortofname，"returnedhispartner，slightly——
"Obenreizer。’——OfspeciallycommandingtoyouM。JulesObenreizer，ofSohoSquare，London（northside），henceforthfullyaccreditedasouragent，andwhohasalreadyhadthehonourofmakingtheacquaintanceofyourMr。Vendale，inhis（saidM。Obenreizer’s）
nativecountry，Switzerland。’Tobesure！poohpooh，whathaveI
beenthinkingof！Iremembernow;’whentravellingwithhisniece。’"
"Withhis——？"Vendalehadsoslurredthelastword，thatWildinghadnotheardit。
"WhentravellingwithhisNiece。Obenreizer’sNiece，"saidVendale，inasomewhatsuperfluouslylucidmanner。"NieceofObenreizer。（I
mettheminmyfirstSwisstour，travelledalittlewiththem，andlostthemfortwoyears;metthemagain，mySwisstourbeforelast，andhavelostthemeversince。）Obenreizer。NieceofObenreizer。
Tobesure！Possiblesortofname，afterall！’M。Obenreizerisinpossessionofourabsoluteconfidence，andwedonotdoubtyouwillesteemhismerits。’DulysignedbytheHouse，’DefresnieretCie。’
Verywell。IundertaketoseeM。Obenreizerpresently，andclearhimoutoftheway。ThatclearstheSwisspostmarkoutoftheway。
Sonow，mydearWilding，tellmewhatIcanclearoutofYOURway，andI’llfindawaytoclearit。"
Morethanreadyandgratefultobethustakenchargeof，thehonestwine—merchantwrunghispartner’shand，and，beginninghistalebypatheticallydeclaringhimselfanImpostor，toldit。
"Itwasonthismatter，nodoubt，thatyouweresendingforBintreywhenIcamein？"saidhispartner，afterreflecting。
"Itwas。"
"Hehasexperienceandashrewdhead;Ishallbeanxioustoknowhisopinion。ItisboldandhazardousinmetogiveyouminebeforeI
knowhis，butIamnotgoodatholdingback。Plainly，then，Idonotseethesecircumstancesasyouseethem。Idonotseeyourpositionasyouseeit。AstoyourbeinganImpostor，mydearWilding，thatissimplyabsurd，becausenomancanbethatwithoutbeingaconsentingpartytoanimposition。Clearlyyouneverwereso。Astoyourenrichmentbytheladywhobelievedyoutobeherson，andwhomyouwereforcedtobelieve，onhershowing，tobeyourmother，considerwhetherthatdidnotariseoutofthepersonalrelationsbetweenyou。Yougraduallybecamemuchattachedtoher;
shegraduallybecamemuchattachedtoyou。Itwasonyou，personallyyou，asIseethecase，thatsheconferredtheseworldlyadvantages;itwasfromher，personallyher，thatyoutookthem。"
"Shesupposedme，"objectedWilding，shakinghishead，"tohaveanaturalclaimuponher，whichIhadnot。"
"Imustadmitthat，"repliedhispartner，"tobetrue。Butifshehadmadethediscoverythatyouhavemade，sixmonthsbeforeshedied，doyouthinkitwouldhavecancelledtheyearsyouweretogether，andthetendernessthateachofyouhadconceivedfortheother，eachonincreasingknowledgeoftheother？"
"WhatIthink，"saidWilding，simplybutstoutlyholdingtothebarefact，"cannomorechangethetruththanitcanbringdownthesky。
ThetruthisthatIstandpossessedofwhatwasmeantforanotherman。"
"Hemaybedead，"saidVendale。
"Hemaybealive，"saidWilding。"Andifheisalive，haveInot——
innocently，Igrantyouinnocently——robbedhimofenough？HaveI
notrobbedhimofallthehappytimethatIenjoyedinhisstead？
HaveInotrobbedhimoftheexquisitedelightthatfilledmysoulwhenthatdearlady，"stretchinghishandtowardsthepicture，"toldmeshewasmymother？HaveInotrobbedhimofallthecareshelavishedonme？HaveInotevenrobbedhimofallthedevotionanddutythatIsoproudlygavetoher？ThereforeitisthatIaskmyself，GeorgeVendale，andIaskyou，whereishe？Whathasbecomeofhim？"
"Whocantell！"
"Imusttrytofindoutwhocantell。Imustinstituteinquiries。
Imustneverdesistfromprosecutinginquiries。Iwillliveupontheinterestofmyshare——Ioughttosayhisshare——inthisbusiness，andwilllayuptherestforhim。WhenIfindhim，Imayperhapsthrowmyselfuponhisgenerosity;butIwillyieldupalltohim。Iwill，Iswear。AsIlovedandhonouredher，"saidWilding，reverentlykissinghishandtowardsthepicture，andthencoveringhiseyeswithit。"AsIlovedandhonouredher，andhaveaworldofreasonstobegratefultoher！"Andsobrokedownagain。
Hispartnerrosefromthechairhehadoccupied，andstoodbesidehimwithahandsoftlylaiduponhisshoulder。"Walter，Iknewyoubeforeto—daytobeanuprightman，withapureconscienceandafineheart。ItisveryfortunateformethatIhavetheprivilegetotraveloninlifesoneartosotrustworthyaman。Iamthankfulforit。Usemeasyourrighthand，andrelyuponmetothedeath。
Don’tthinktheworseofmeifIprotesttoyouthatmyuppermostfeelingatpresentisaconfused，youmaycallitanunreasonable，one。Ifeelfarmorepityfortheladyandforyou，becauseyoudidnotstandinyoursupposedrelations，thanIcanfeelfortheunknownman（ifheeverbecameaman），becausehewasunconsciouslydisplaced。YouhavedonewellinsendingforMr。Bintrey。WhatI
thinkwillbeapartofhisadvice，Iknowisthewholeofmine。Donotmoveastepinthisseriousmatterprecipitately。Thesecretmustbekeptamonguswithgreatstrictness，fortopartwithitlightlywouldbetoinvitefraudulentclaims，toencourageahostofknaves，toletlooseafloodofperjuryandplotting。Ihavenomoretosaynow，Walter，thantoremindyouthatyousoldmeashareinyourbusiness，expresslytosaveyourselffrommoreworkthanyourpresenthealthisfitfor，andthatIboughtitexpresslytodowork，andmeantodoit。"
Withthesewords，andapartinggripofhispartner’sshoulderthatgavethemthebestemphasistheycouldhavehad，GeorgeVendalebetookhimselfpresentlytothecounting—house，andpresentlyafterwardstotheaddressofM。JulesObenreizer。
AsheturnedintoSohoSquare，anddirectedhisstepstowardsitsnorthside，adeepenedcolourshotacrosshissun—brownedface，whichWilding，ifhehadbeenabetterobserver，orhadbeenlessoccupiedwithhisowntrouble，mighthavenoticedwhenhispartnerreadaloudacertainpassageintheirSwisscorrespondent’sletter，whichhehadnotreadsodistinctlyastherest。
AcuriouscolonyofmountaineershaslongbeenenclosedwithinthatsmallflatLondondistrictofSoho。Swisswatchmakers，Swisssilver—chasers，Swissjewellers，SwissimportersofSwissmusicalboxesandSwisstoysofvariouskinds，drawclosetogetherthere。
Swissprofessorsofmusic，painting，andlanguages;Swissartificersinsteadywork;Swisscouriers，andotherSwissservantschronicallyoutofplace;industriousSwisslaundressesandclear—starchers;
mysteriouslyexistingSwissofbothsexes;SwisscreditableandSwissdiscreditable;Swisstobetrustedbyallmeans，andSwisstobetrustedbynomeans;thesediverseSwissparticlesareattractedtoacentreinthedistrictofSoho。ShabbySwisseating—houses，coffee—houses，andlodging—houses，Swissdrinksanddishes，SwissserviceforSundays，andSwissschoolsforweek—days，arealltobefoundthere。Eventhenative—bornEnglishtavernsdriveasortofbroken—Englishtrade;announcingintheirwindowsSwisswhetsanddrams，andshelteringintheirbarsSwissskirmishesofloveandanimosityonmostnightsintheyear。
WhenthenewpartnerinWildingandCo。rangthebellofadoorbearingthebluntinscriptionOBENREIZERonabrassplate——theinnerdoorofasubstantialhouse，whosegroundstorywasdevotedtothesaleofSwissclocks——hepassedatonceintodomesticSwitzerland。
Awhite—tiledstoveforwinter—timefilledthefireplaceoftheroomintowhichhewasshown，theroom’sbarefloorwaslaidtogetherinaneatpatternofseveralordinarywoods，theroomhadaprevalentairofsurfacebarenessandmuchscrubbing;andthelittlesquareofflowerycarpetbythesofa，andthevelvetchimney—boardwithitscapaciousclockandvasesofartificialflowers，contendedwiththattone，asif，inbringingoutthewholeeffect，aParisianhadadaptedadairytodomesticpurposes。
Mimicwaterwasdroppingoffamill—wheelundertheclock。Thevisitorhadnotstoodbeforeit，followingitwithhiseyes，aminute，whenM。Obenreizer，athiselbow，startledhimbysaying，inverygoodEnglish，veryslightlyclipped："Howdoyoudo？Soglad！"
"Ibegyourpardon。Ididn’thearyoucomein。"
"Notatall！Sit，please。"
Releasinghisvisitor’stwoarms，whichhehadlightlypinionedattheelbowsbywayofembrace，M。Obenreizeralsosat，remarking，withasmile："Youarewell？Soglad！"andtouchinghiselbowsagain。
"Idon’tknow，"saidVendale，afterexchangeofsalutations，"whetheryoumayyethaveheardofmefromyourHouseatNeuchatel？"
"Ah，yes！"
"InconnectionwithWildingandCo。？"
"Ah，surely！"
"IsitnotoddthatIshouldcometoyou，inLondonhere，asoneoftheFirmofWildingandCo。，topaytheFirm’srespects？"
"Notatall！WhatdidIalwaysobservewhenwewereonthemountains？Wecallthemvast;buttheworldissolittle。Solittleistheworld，thatonecannotkeepawayfrompersons。Therearesofewpersonsintheworld，thattheycontinuallycrossandre—
cross。Soverylittleistheworld，thatonecannotgetridofaperson。Not，"touchinghiselbowsagain，withaningratiatorysmile，"thatonewoulddesiretogetridofyou。"
"Ihopenot，M。Obenreizer。"
"Pleasecallme，inyourcountry，Mr。Icallmyselfso，forIloveyourcountry。IfICOULDbeEnglish！ButIamborn。Andyou？
Thoughdescendedfromsofineafamily，youhavehadthecondescensiontocomeintotrade？Stopthough。Wines？IsittradeinEnglandorprofession？Notfineart？"
"Mr。Obenreizer，"returnedVendale，somewhatoutofcountenance，"I
wasbutasillyyoungfellow，justofage，whenIfirsthadthepleasureoftravellingwithyou，andwhenyouandIandMademoiselleyourniece——whoiswell？"
"Thankyou。Whoiswell。"
"——Sharedsomeslightglacierdangerstogether。If，withaboy’svanity，Irathervauntedmyfamily，IhopeIdidsoasakindofintroductionofmyself。Itwasveryweak，andinverybadtaste;
butperhapsyouknowourEnglishproverb，’LiveandLearn。’"
"Youmaketoomuchofit，"returnedtheSwiss。"Andwhatthedevil！
Afterall，yoursWASafinefamily。"
GeorgeVendale’slaughbetrayedalittlevexationasherejoined：
"Well！Iwasstronglyattachedtomyparents，andwhenwefirsttravelledtogether，Mr。Obenreizer，Iwasinthefirstflushofcomingintowhatmyfatherandmotherleftme。SoIhopeitmayhavebeen，afterall，moreyouthfulopennessofspeechandheartthanboastfulness。"
"Allopennessofspeechandheart！Noboastfulness！"criedObenreizer。"Youtaxyourselftooheavily。Youtaxyourself，myfaith！asifyouwasyourGovernmenttaxingyou！Besides，itcommencedwithme。Iremember，thateveningintheboatuponthelake，floatingamongthereflectionsofthemountainsandvalleys，thecragsandpinewoods，whichweremyearliestremembrance，Idrewaword—pictureofmysordidchildhood。Ofourpoorhut，bythewaterfallwhichmymothershowedtotravellers;ofthecow—shedwhereIsleptwiththecow;ofmyidiothalf—brotheralwayssittingatthedoor，orlimpingdownthePasstobeg;ofmyhalf—sisteralwaysspinning，andrestingherenormousgoitreonagreatstone;
ofmybeingafamishednakedlittlewretchoftwoorthreeyears，whentheyweremenandwomenwithhardhandstobeatme，I，theonlychildofmyfather’ssecondmarriage——ifitevenwasamarriage。
Whatmorenaturalthanforyoutocomparenoteswithme，andsay，’Weareasonebyage;atthatsametimeIsatuponmymother’slapinmyfather’scarriage，rollingthroughtherichEnglishstreets，allluxurysurroundingme，allsqualidpovertykeptfarfromme。
SuchisMYearliestremembranceasopposedtoyours！’"
Mr。Obenreizerwasablack—hairedyoungmanofadarkcomplexion，throughwhoseswarthyskinnoredglowevershone。Whencolourwouldhavecomeintoanothercheek，ahardlydiscerniblebeatwouldcomeintohis，asifthemachineryforbringinguptheardentbloodwerethere，butthemachineryweredry。Hewasrobustlymade，wellproportioned，andhadhandsomefeatures。Manywouldhaveperceivedthatsomesurfacechangeinhimwouldhavesetthemmoreattheireasewithhim，withoutbeingabletodefinewhatchange。Ifhislipscouldhavebeenmademuchthicker，andhisneckmuchthinner，theywouldhavefoundtheirwantsupplied。
ButthegreatObenreizerpeculiaritywas，thatacertainnamelessfilmwouldcomeoverhiseyes——apparentlybytheactionofhisownwill——whichwouldimpenetrablyveil，notonlyfromthosetellersoftales，butfromhisfaceatlarge，everyexpressionsaveoneofattention。Itbynomeansfollowedthathisattentionshouldbewhollygiventothepersonwithwhomhespoke，orevenwhollybestowedonpresentsoundsandobjects。Rather，itwasacomprehensivewatchfulnessofeverythinghehadinhisownmind，andeverythingthatheknewtobe，orsuspectedtobe，inthemindsofothermen。
Atthisstageoftheconversation，Mr。Obenreizer’sfilmcameoverhim。
"Theobjectofmypresentvisit，"saidVendale，"is，Ineedhardlysay，toassureyouofthefriendlinessofWildingandCo。，andofthegoodnessofyourcreditwithus，andofourdesiretobeofservicetoyou。Wehopeshortlytoofferyouourhospitality。
Thingsarenotquiteintrainwithusyet，formypartner，Mr。
Wilding，isreorganisingthedomesticpartofourestablishment，andisinterruptedbysomeprivateaffairs。Youdon’tknowMr。Wilding，Ibelieve？"
Mr。Obenreizerdidnot。
"Youmustcometogethersoon。Hewillbegladtohavemadeyouracquaintance，andIthinkImaypredictthatyouwillbegladtohavemadehis。YouhavenotbeenlongestablishedinLondon，I
suppose，Mr。Obenreizer？"
"ItisonlynowthatIhaveundertakenthisagency。"
"Mademoiselleyourniece——is——notmarried？"
"Notmarried。"
GeorgeVendaleglancedabouthim，asifforanytokensofher。
"ShehasbeeninLondon？"
"SheISinLondon。"
"When，andwhere，mightIhavethehonourofrecallingmyselftoherremembrance？"
Mr。Obenreizer，discardinghisfilmandtouchinghisvisitor’selbowsasbefore，saidlightly："Comeup—stairs。"
Flutteredenoughbythesuddennesswithwhichtheinterviewhehadsoughtwascominguponhimafterall，GeorgeVendalefollowedup—
stairs。Inaroomoverthechamberhehadjustquitted——aroomalsoSwiss—appointed——ayoungladysatnearoneofthreewindows，workingatanembroidery—frame;andanolderladysatwithherfaceturnedclosetoanotherwhite—tiledstove（thoughitwassummer，andthestovewasnotlighted），cleaninggloves。Theyoungladyworeanunusualquantityoffairbrighthair，veryprettilybraidedaboutaratherrounderwhiteforeheadthantheaverageEnglishtype，andsoherfacemighthavebeenashade——orsayalight——rounderthantheaverageEnglishface，andherfigureslightlyrounderthanthefigureoftheaverageEnglishgirlatnineteen。Aremarkableindicationoffreedomandgraceoflimb，inherquietattitude，andawonderfulpurityandfreshnessofcolourinherdimpledfaceandbrightgrayeyes，seemedfraughtwithmountainair。Switzerlandtoo，thoughthegeneralfashionofherdresswasEnglish，peepedoutofthefancifulbodiceshewore，andlurkedinthecuriousclockedredstocking，andinitslittlesilver—buckledshoe。Astotheelderlady，sittingwithherfeetapartuponthelowerbrassledgeofthestove，supportingalap—fullofgloveswhileshecleanedonestretchedonherlefthand，shewasatrueSwissimpersonationofanotherkind;fromthebreadthofhercushion—likeback，andtheponderosityofherrespectablelegs（ifthewordbeadmissible），totheblackvelvetbandtiedtightlyroundherthroatfortherepressionofarisingtendencytogoitre;or，higherstill，tohergreatcopper—colouredgoldear—rings;or，higherstill，toherhead—
dressofblackgauzestretchedonwire。
"MissMarguerite，"saidObenreizertotheyounglady，"doyourecollectthisgentleman？"
"Ithink，"sheanswered，risingfromherseat，surprisedandalittleconfused："itisMr。Vendale？"
"Ithinkitis，"saidObenreizer，dryly。"Permitme，Mr。Vendale。
MadameDor。"
Theelderladybythestove，withtheglovestretchedonherlefthand，likeaglover’ssign，halfgotup，halflookedoverherbroadshoulder，andwhollyplumpeddownagainandrubbedaway。
"MadameDor，"saidObenreizer，smiling，"issokindastokeepmefreefromstainortear。MadameDorhumoursmyweaknessforbeingalwaysneat，anddevoteshertimetoremovingeveryoneofmyspecksandspots。"
MadameDor，withthestretchedgloveintheair，andhereyescloselyscrutinizingitspalm，discoveredatoughspotinMr。
Obenreizeratthatinstant，andrubbedhardathim。GeorgeVendaletookhisseatbytheembroidery—frame（havingfirsttakenthefairrighthandthathisentrancehadchecked），andglancedatthegoldcrossthatdippedintothebodice，withsomethingofthedevotionofapilgrimwhohadreachedhisshrineatlast。Obenreizerstoodinthemiddleoftheroomwithhisthumbsinhiswaistcoat—pockets，andbecamefilmy。
"Hewassayingdown—stairs，MissObenreizer，"observedVendale，"thattheworldissosmallaplace，thatpeoplecannotescapeoneanother。IhavefounditmuchtoolargeformesinceIsawyoulast。"
"Haveyoutravelledsofar，then？"sheinquired。
"Notsofar，forIhaveonlygonebacktoSwitzerlandeachyear;butIcouldhavewished——andindeedIhavewishedveryoften——thatthelittleworlddidnotaffordsuchopportunitiesforlongescapesasitdoes。Ifithadbeenless，Imighthavefoundmyfollow—
travellerssooner，youknow。"
TheprettyMargueritecoloured，andveryslightlyglancedinthedirectionofMadameDor。
"Youfindusatlength，Mr。Vendale。Perhapsyoumayloseusagain。"
"Itrustnot。Thecuriouscoincidencethathasenabledmetofindyou，encouragesmetohopenot。"
"Whatisthatcoincidence，sir，ifyouplease？"Adaintylittlenativetouchinthisturnofspeech，andinitstone，madeitperfectlycaptivating，thoughtGeorgeVendale，whenagainhenoticedaninstantaneousglancetowardsMadameDor。Acautionseemedtobeconveyedinit，rapidflashthoughitwas;sohequietlytookheedofMadameDorfromthattimeforth。
"ItisthatIhappentohavebecomeapartnerinaHouseofbusinessinLondon，towhichMr。Obenreizerhappensthisverydaytobeexpresslyrecommended：andthat，too，byanotherhouseofbusinessinSwitzerland，inwhich（asitturnsout）webothhaveacommercialinterest。Hehasnottoldyou？"
"Ah！"criedObenreizer，strikingin，filmless。"No。IhadnottoldMissMarguerite。Theworldissosmallandsomonotonousthatasurpriseisworthhavinginsuchalittlejog—trotplace。Itisashetellsyou，MissMarguerite。He，ofsofineafamily，andsoproudlybred，hascondescendedtotrade。Totrade！Likeuspoorpeasantswhohaverisenfromditches！"
Acloudcreptoverthefairbrow，andshecastdownhereyes。
"Why，itisgoodfortrade！"pursuedObenreizer，enthusiastically。
"Itennoblestrade！Itisthemisfortuneoftrade，itisitsvulgarity，thatanylowpeople——forexample，wepoorpeasants——maytaketoitandclimbbyit。Seeyou，mydearVendale！"Hespokewithgreatenergy。"ThefatherofMissMarguerite，myeldesthalf—
brother，morethantwotimesyourageormine，iflivingnow，wanderedwithoutshoes，almostwithoutrags，fromthatwretchedPass——wandered——wandered——gottobefedwiththemulesanddogsatanInninthemainvalleyfaraway——gottobeBoythere——gottobeOstler——gottobeWaiter——gottobeCook——gottobeLandlord。AsLandlord，hetookme（couldhetaketheidiotbeggarhisbrother，orthespinningmonstrosityhissister？）toputaspupiltothefamouswatchmaker，hisneighbourandfriend。HiswifedieswhenMissMargueriteisborn。Whatishiswill，andwhatarehiswordstome，whenhedies，shebeingbetweengirlandwoman？’AllforMarguerite，exceptsomuchbytheyearforyou。Youareyoung，butImakeheryourward，foryouwereoftheobscurestandthepoorestpeasantry，andsowasI，andsowashermother;wewereabjectpeasantsall，andyouwillrememberit。’Thethingisequallytrueofmostofmycountrymen，nowintradeinthisyourLondonquarterofSoho。Peasantsonce;low—borndrudgingSwissPeasants。Thenhowgoodandgreatfortrade："here，fromhavingbeenwarm，hebecameplayfullyjubilant，andtouchedtheyoungwine—merchant’selbowsagainwithhislightembrace："tobeexaltedbygentlemen。"
"Idonotthinkso，"saidMarguerite，withaflushedcheek，andalookawayfromthevisitor，thatwasalmostdefiant。"Ithinkitisasmuchexaltedbyuspeasants。"
"Fie，fie，MissMarguerite，"saidObenreizer。"YouspeakinproudEngland。"
"Ispeakinproudearnest，"sheanswered，quietlyresumingherwork，"andIamnotEnglish，butaSwisspeasant’sdaughter。"
Therewasadismissalofthesubjectinherwords，whichVendalecouldnotcontendagainst。Heonlysaidinanearnestmanner，"I
mostheartilyagreewithyou，MissObenreizer，andIhavealreadysaidso，asMr。Obenreizerwillbearwitness，"whichhebynomeansdid，"inthishouse。"
Now，Vendale’seyeswerequickeyes，andsharplywatchingMadameDorbytimes，notedsomethinginthebroadbackviewofthatlady。
Therewasconsiderablepantomimicexpressioninherglove—cleaning。
IthadbeenverysoftlydonewhenhespokewithMarguerite，orithadaltogetherstopped，liketheactionofalistener。WhenObenreizer’speasant—speechcametoanend，sherubbedmostvigorously，asifapplaudingit。Andonceortwice，astheglove（whichshealwaysheldbeforeheralittleaboveherface）turnedintheair，orasthisfingerwentdown，orthatwentup，heevenfanciedthatitmadesometelegraphiccommunicationtoObenreizer：
whosebackwascertainlyneverturneduponit，thoughhedidnotseematalltoheedit。
Vendaleobservedtoo，thatinMarguerite’sdismissalofthesubjecttwiceforceduponhimtohismisrepresentation，therewasanindignanttreatmentofherguardianwhichshetriedtocheek：asthoughshewouldhaveflamedoutagainsthim，butfortheinfluenceoffear。Healsoobserved——thoughthiswasnotmuch——thatheneveradvancedwithinthedistanceofheratwhichhefirstplacedhimself：asthoughtherewerelimitsfixedbetweenthem。Neitherhadheeverspokenofherwithouttheprefix"Miss，"thoughwheneverheutteredit，itwaswiththefaintesttraceofanairofmockery。
AndnowitoccurredtoVendaleforthefirsttimethatsomethingcuriousintheman，whichhehadneverbeforebeenabletodefine，wasdefinableasacertainsubtleessenceofmockerythateludedtouchoranalysis。HefeltconvincedthatMargueritewasinsomesortaprisonerastoherfreewill——thoughsheheldherownagainstthosetwocombined，bytheforceofhercharacter，whichwasneverthelessinadequatetoherrelease。Tofeelconvincedofthis，wasnottofeellessdisposedtoloveherthanhehadalwaysbeen。
Inaword，hewasdesperatelyinlovewithher，andthoroughlydeterminedtopursuetheopportunitywhichhadopenedatlast。
Forthepresent，hemerelytoucheduponthepleasurethatWildingandCo。wouldsoonhaveinentreatingMissObenreizertohonourtheirestablishmentwithherpresence——acuriousoldplace，thoughabachelorhousewithal——andsodidnotprotracthisvisitbeyondsuchavisit’sordinarylength。Goingdown—stairs，conductedbyhishost，hefoundtheObenreizercounting—houseatthebackoftheentrance—hall，andseveralshabbymeninoutlandishgarmentshangingabout，whomObenreizerputasidethathemightpass，withafewwordsinpatois。
"Countrymen，"heexplained，asheattendedVendaletothedoor。
"Poorcompatriots。Gratefulandattached，likedogs！Good—bye。Tomeetagain。Soglad！"
Twomorelighttouchesonhiselbowsdismissedhimintothestreet。
SweetMargueriteatherframe，andMadameDor’sbroadbackathertelegraph，floatedbeforehimtoCrippleCorner。Onhisarrivalthere，WildingwasclosetedwithBintrey。Thecellardoorshappeningtobeopen，Vendalelightedacandleinacleftstick，andwentdownforacellarousstroll。GracefulMargueritefloatedbeforehimfaithfully，butMadameDor’sbroadbackremainedoutside。
Thevaultswereveryspacious，andveryold。Therehadbeenastonecryptdownthere，whenbygoneswerenotbygones;somesaid，partofamonkishrefectory;somesaid，ofachapel;somesaid，ofaPagantemple。Itwasallonenow。Letwhowouldmakewhathelikedofacrumbledpillarandabrokenarchorso。OldTimehadmadewhatHE
likedofit，andwasquiteindifferenttocontradiction。
Thecloseair，themustysmell，andthethunderousrumblinginthestreetsabove，asbeing，outoftheroutineofordinarylife，wentwellenoughwiththepictureofprettyMargueriteholdingherownagainstthosetwo。SoVendalewentonuntil，ataturninginthevaults，hesawalightlikethelighthecarried。
"O！Youarehere，areyou，Joey？"
"Oughtn’titrathertogo，’O！YOU’REhere，areyou，MasterGeorge？’Forit’smybusinesstobehere。Butitain’tyourn。"
"Don’tgrumble，Joey。"
"O！Idon’tgrumble，"returnedtheCellarman。"Ifanythinggrumbles，it’swhatI’vetookinthroughthepores;itain’tme。
Haveacareassomethinginyoudon’tbeginagrumbling，MasterGeorge。Stopherelongenoughforthewapourstowork，andthey’llbeatit。"
Hispresentoccupationconsistedofpokinghisheadintothebins，makingmeasurementsandmentalcalculations，andenteringtheminarhinoceros—hide—lookingnote—book，likeapieceofhimself。
"They’llbeatit，"heresumed，layingthewoodenrodthathemeasuredwithacrosstwocasks，enteringhislastcalculation，andstraighteninghisback，"trust’em！Andsoyou’veregularlycomeintothebusiness，MasterGeorge？"
"Regularly。Ihopeyoudon’tobject，Joey？"
"Idon’t，blessyou。ButWapoursobjectsthatyou’retooyoung。
You’rebothonyoutooyoung。"
"Weshallgotoverthatobjectiondaybyday，Joey。"
"Ay，MasterGeorge;butIshalldaybydaygetovertheobjectionthatI’mtooold，andsoIshan’tbecapableofseeingmuchimprovementinyou。"
TheretortsotickledJoeyLadlethathegruntedforthalaughanddelivereditagain，gruntingforthanotherlaughafterthesecondeditionof"improvementinyou。"
"Butwhat’snolaughingmatter，MasterGeorge，"heresumed，straighteninghisbackoncemore，"is，thatyoungMasterWildinghasgoneandchangedtheluck。Markmywords。Hehaschangedtheluck，andhe’llfinditout。Iain’tbeendownhereallmylifefornothing！IknowbywhatInoticesdownhere，whenit’sa—goingtorain，whenit’sa—goingtoholdup，whenit’sa—goingtoblow，whenit’sa—goingtobecalm。Iknow，bywhatInoticesdownhere，whentheluck’schanged，quiteaswell。"
"Hasthisgrowthontheroofanythingtodowithyourdivination？"
askedVendale，holdinghislighttowardsagloomyraggedgrowthofdarkfungus，pendentfromthearcheswithaverydisagreeableandrepellenteffect。"Wearefamousforthisgrowthinthisvault，aren’twe？"
"WeareMasterGeorge，"repliedJoeyLadle，movingasteportwoaway，"andifyou’llbeadvisedbyme，you’llletitalone。"
Takinguptherodjustnowlaidacrossthetwocasks，andfaintlymovingthelanguidfunguswithit，Vendaleasked，"Ay，indeed？Whyso？"
"Why，notsomuchbecauseitrisesfromthecasksofwine，andmayleaveyoutojudgewhatsortofstuffaCellarmantakesintohimselfwhenhewalksinthesameallthedaysofhislife，noryetsomuchbecauseatastageofitsgrowthit’smaggots，andyou’llfetch’emdownuponyou，"returnedJoeyLadle，stillkeepingaway，"asforanotherreason，MasterGeorge。"
"Whatotherreason？"
"（Iwouldn’tkeepontouchin’it，ifIwasyou，sir。）I’lltellyouifyou’llcomeoutoftheplace。First，takealookatitscolour，MasterGeorge。"
"Iamdoingso。"
"Done，sir。Now，comeoutoftheplace。"
Hemovedawaywithhislight，andVendalefollowedwithhis。WhenVendalecameupwithhim，andtheyweregoingbacktogether，Vendale，eyeinghimastheywalkedthroughthearches，said："Well，Joey？Thecolour。"
"Isitlikeclottedblood，MasterGeorge？"
"Likeenough，perhaps。"
"Morethanenough，Ithink，"mutteredJoeyLadle，shakinghisheadsolemnly。
"Well，sayitislike;sayitisexactlylike。Whatthen？"
"MasterGeorge，theydosay——"
"Who？"
"HowshouldIknowwho？"rejoinedtheCellarman，apparentlymuchexasperatedbytheunreasonablenatureofthequestion。"Them！
Themassaysprettywelleverything，youknow。HowshouldIknowwhoTheyare，ifyoudon’t？"
"True。Goon。"
"Theydosaythatthemanthatgetsbyanyaccidentapieceofthatdarkgrowthrightuponhisbreast，will，forsureandcertain，diebymurder。"
AsVendalelaughinglystoppedtomeettheCellarman’seyes，whichhehadfastenedonhislightwhiledreamilysayingthosewords，hesuddenlybecameconsciousofbeingstruckuponhisownbreastbyaheavyhand。Instantlyfollowingwithhiseyestheactionofthehandthatstruckhim——whichwashiscompanion’s——hesawthatithadbeatenoffhisbreastaweborclotofthefunguseventhenfloatingtotheground。
ForamomentheturnedupontheCellarmanalmostasscaredalookastheCellarmanturneduponhim。Butinanothermomenttheyhadreachedthedaylightatthefootofthecellar—steps，andbeforehecheerfullysprangupthem，heblewouthiscandleandthesuperstitiontogether。
EXITWILDING
Onthemorningofthenextday，Wildingwentoutalone，afterleavingamessagewithhisclerk。"IfMr。Vendaleshouldaskforme，"hesaid，"orifMr。Bintreyshouldcall，tellthemIamgonetotheFoundling。"Allthathispartnerhadsaidtohim，allthathislawyer，followingonthesameside，couldurge，hadlefthimpersistingunshakeninhisownpointofview。Tofindthelostman，whoseplacehehadusurped，wasnowtheparamountinterestofhislife，andtoinquireattheFoundlingwasplainlytotakethefirststepinthedirectionofdiscovery。TotheFoundling，accordingly，thewine—merchantnowwent。
Theoncefamiliaraspectofthebuildingwasalteredtohim，asthelookoftheportraitoverthechimney—piecewasalteredtohim。Hisonedearestassociationwiththeplacewhichhadshelteredhischildhoodhadbeenbrokenawayfromitforever。Astrangereluctancepossessedhim，whenhestatedhisbusinessatthedoor。
Hisheartachedashesataloneinthewaiting—roomwhiletheTreasureroftheinstitutionwasbeingsentfortoseehim。Whentheinterviewbegan，itwasonlybyapainfuleffortthathecouldcomposehimselfsufficientlytomentionthenatureofhiserrand。
TheTreasurerlistenedwithafacewhichpromisedallneedfulattention，andpromisednothingmore。
"Weareobligedtobecautious，"hesaid，whenitcametohisturntospeak，"aboutallinquirieswhicharemadebystrangers。"
"Youcanhardlyconsidermeastranger，"answeredWilding，simply。
"Iwasoneofyourpoorlostchildrenhere，inthebygonetime。"
TheTreasurerpolitelyrejoinedthatthiscircumstanceinspiredhimwithaspecialinterestinhisvisitor。Buthepressed，neverthelessforthatvisitor’smotiveinmakinghisinquiry。
Withoutfurtherpreface，Wildingtoldhimhismotive，suppressingnothing。TheTreasurerrose，andledthewayintotheroominwhichtheregistersoftheinstitutionwerekept。"Alltheinformationwhichourbookscangiveisheartilyatyourservice，"hesaid。
"Afterthetimethathaselapsed，Iamafraiditistheonlyinformationwehavetoofferyou。"
Thebookswereconsulted，andtheentrywasfoundexpressedasfollows：
"3dMarch，1836。Adopted，andremovedfromtheFoundlingHospital，amaleinfant，namedWalterWilding。Nameandconditionofthepersonadoptingthechild——Mrs。JaneAnnMiller，widow。Address——
Lime—TreeLodge，GroombridgeWells。References——theReverendJohnHarker，GroombridgeWells;andMessrs。Giles，Jeremie，andGiles，bankers，LombardStreet。"
"Isthatall？"askedthewine—merchant。"Hadyounoafter—
communicationwithMrs。Miller？"
"None——orsomereferencetoitmusthaveappearedinthisbook。"
"MayItakeacopyoftheentry？"
"Certainly！Youarealittleagitated。Letmemakeacopyforyou。"
"Myonlychance，Isuppose，"saidWilding，lookingsadlyatthecopy，"istoinquireatMrs。Miller’sresidence，andtotryifherreferencescanhelpme？"
"ThatistheonlychanceIseeatpresent，"answeredtheTreasurer。
"IheartilywishIcouldhavebeenofsomefurtherassistancetoyou。"
WiththosefarewellwordstocomforthimWildingsetforthonthejourneyofinvestigationwhichbeganfromtheFoundlingdoors。Thefirststagetomakefor，wasplainlythehouseofbusinessofthebankersinLombardStreet。Twoofthepartnersinthefirmwereinaccessibletochance—visitorswhenheaskedforthem。Thethird，afterraisingcertaininevitabledifficulties，consentedtoletaclerkexaminetheledgermarkedwiththeinitialletter"M。"TheaccountofMrs。Miller，widow，ofGroombridgeWells，wasfound。Twolonglines，infadedink，weredrawnacrossit;andatthebottomofthepagethereappearedthisnoteAccountclosed，September30th，1837。"
Sothefirststageofthejourneywasreached——andsoitendedinNoThoroughfare！AftersendinganotetoCrippleCornertoinformhispartnerthathisabsencemightbeprolongedforsomehours，Wildingtookhisplaceinthetrain，andstartedforthesecondstageonthejourney——Mrs。Miller’sresidenceatGroombridgeWells。
Mothersandchildrentravelledwithhim;mothersandchildrenmeteachotheratthestation;mothersandchildrenwereintheshopswhenheenteredthemtoinquireforLime—TreeLodge。Everywhere，thenearestanddearestofhumanrelationsshoweditselfhappilyinthehappylightofday。Everywhere，hewasremindedofthetreasureddelusionfromwhichhehadbeenawakenedsocruelly——ofthelostmemorywhichhadpassedfromhimlikeareflectionfromaglass。
Inquiringhere，inquiringthere，hecouldhearofnosuchplaceasLime—TreeLodge。Passingahouse—agent’soffice，hewentinwearily，andputthequestionforthelasttime。Thehouse—agentpointedacrossthestreettoadrearymansionofmanywindows，whichmighthavebeenamanufactory，butwhichwasanhotel。"That’swhereLime—TreeLodgestood，sir，"saidtheman，"tenyearsago。"
Thesecondstagereached，andNoThoroughfareagain！
Butonechancewasleft。Theclericalreference，Mr。Harker，stillremainedtobefound。Customerscominginatthemomenttooccupythehouse—agent’sattention，Wildingwentdownthestreet，andenteringabookseller’sshop，askedifhecouldbeinformedoftheReverendJohnHarker’spresentaddress。
Thebooksellerlookedunaffectedlyshockedandastonished，andmadenoanswer。
Wildingrepeatedhisquestion。
Thebooksellertookupfromhiscounteraprimlittlevolumeinabindingofsobergray。Hehandedittohisvisitor，openatthetitle—page。Wildingread：
"ThemartyrdomoftheReverendJohnHarkerinNewZealand。Relatedbyaformermemberofhisflock。"
Wildingputthebookdownonthecounter。"Ibegyourpardon，"hesaidthinkingalittle，perhaps，ofhisownpresentmartyrdomwhilehespoke。Thesilentbookselleracknowledgedtheapologybyabow。
Wildingwentout。
Thirdandlaststage，andNoThoroughfareforthethirdandlasttime。
Therewasnothingmoretobedone;therewasabsolutelynochoicebuttogobacktoLondon，defeatedatallpoints。Fromtimetotimeonthereturnjourney，thewine—merchantlookedathiscopyoftheentryintheFoundlingRegister。Thereisoneamongthemanyformsofdespair——perhapsthemostpitiableofall——whichpersistsindisguisingitselfasHope。Wildingcheckedhimselfintheactofthrowingtheuselessmorselofpaperoutofthecarriagewindow。
"Itmayleadtosomethingyet，"hethought。"WhileIlive，Iwon’tpartwithit。WhenIdie，myexecutorsshallfinditsealedupwithmywill。"
Now，thementionofhiswillsetthegoodwine—merchantonanewtrackofthought，withoutdivertinghismindfromitsengrossingsubject。Hemustmakehiswillimmediately。
TheapplicationofthephraseNoThoroughfaretothecasehadoriginatedwithMr。Bintrey。Intheirfirstlongconferencefollowingthediscovery，thatsagaciouspersonagehadahundredtimesrepeated，withanobstructiveshakeofthehead，"NoThoroughfare，Sir，NoThoroughfare。Mybeliefisthatthereisnowayoutofthisatthistimeofday，andmyadviceis，makeyourselfcomfortablewhereyouare。"
Inthecourseoftheprotractedconsultation，amagnumoftheforty—
fiveyearoldport—winehadbeenproducedforthewettingofMr。
Bintrey’slegalwhistle;butthemoreclearlyhesawhiswaythroughthewine，themoreemphaticallyhedidnotseehiswaythroughthecase;repeatingasoftenashesethisglassdownempty。"Mr。
Wilding，NoThoroughfare。Restandbethankful。"
Itiscertainthatthehonestwine—merchant’sanxietytomakeawilloriginatedinprofoundconscientiousness;thoughitispossible（andquiteconsistentwithhisrectitude）thathemayunconsciouslyhavederivedsomefeelingofrelieffromtheprospectofdelegatinghisowndifficultytotwoothermenwhoweretocomeafterhim。Bethatasitmay，hepursuedhisnewtrackofthoughtwithgreatardour，andlostnotimeinbeggingGeorgeVendaleandMr。BintreytomeethiminCrippleCornerandsharehisconfidence。
"Beingallthreeassembledwithcloseddoors，"saidMr。Bintrey，addressingthenewpartnerontheoccasion，"Iwishtoobserve，beforeourfriend（andmyclient）entrustsuswithhisfurtherviews，thatIhaveendorsedwhatIunderstandfromhimtohavebeenyouradvice，Mr。Vendale，andwhatwouldbetheadviceofeverysensibleman。Ihavetoldhimthathepositivelymustkeephissecret。IhavespokenwithMrs。Goldstraw，bothinhispresenceandinhisabsence;andifanybodyistobetrusted（whichisaverylargeIF），Ithinksheistobetrustedtothatextent。Ihavepointedouttoourfriend（andmyclient），thattosetonfootrandominquirieswouldnotonlybetoraisetheDevil，inthelikenessofalltheswindlersinthekingdom，butwouldalsobetowastetheestate。Now，yousee，Mr。Vendale，ourfriend（andmyclient）doesnotdesiretowastetheestate，but，onthecontrary，desirestohusbanditforwhatheconsiders——butIcan’tsayIdo——
therightfulowner，ifsuchrightfulownershouldeverbefound。I
amverymuchmistakenifheeverwillbe，butnevermindthat。Mr。
WildingandIare，atleast，agreedthattheestateisnottobewasted。Now，IhaveyieldedtoMr。Wilding’sdesiretokeepanadvertisementatintervalsflowingthroughthenewspapers，cautiouslyinvitinganypersonwhomayknowanythingaboutthatadoptedinfant，takenfromtheFoundlingHospital，tocometomyoffice;andIhavepledgedmyselfthatsuchadvertisementshallregularlyappear。Ihavegatheredfromourfriend（andmyclient）
thatImeetyouhereto—daytotakehisinstructions，nottogivehimadvice。Iampreparedtoreceivehisinstructions，andtorespecthiswishes;butyouwillpleaseobservethatthisdoesnotimplymyapprovalofeitherasamatterofprofessionalopinion。"
ThusMr。Bintrey;talkingquiteismuchATWildingasTOVendale。
Andyet，inspiteofhiscareforhisclient，hewassoamusedbyhisclient’sQuixoticconduct，astoeyehimfromtimetotimewithtwinklingeyes，inthelightofahighlycomicalcuriosity。
"Nothing，"observedWilding，"canbeclearer。Ionlywishmyheadwereasclearasyours，Mr。Bintrey。"
"Ifyoufeelthatsinginginitcomingon，"hintedthelawyer，withanalarmedglance，"putitoff。——Imeantheinterview。"
"Notatall，Ithankyou，"saidWilding。"WhatwasIgoingto——"
"Don’texciteyourself，Mr。Wilding，"urgedthelawyer。
"No;IWASN’Tgoingto，"saidthewine—merchant。"Mr。BintreyandGeorgeVendale，wouldyouhaveanyhesitationorobjectiontobecomemyjointtrusteesandexecutors，orcanyouatonceconsent？"
"Iconsent，"repliedGeorgeVendale，readily。
"Iconsent，"saidBintrey，notsoreadily。
"Thankyouboth。Mr。Bintrey，myinstructionsformylastwillandtestamentareshortandplain。Perhapsyouwillnowhavethegoodnesstotakethemdown。Ileavethewholeofmyrealandpersonalestate，withoutanyexceptionorreservationwhatsoever，toyoutwo，myjointtrusteesandexecutors，intrusttopayoverthewholetothetrueWalterWilding，ifheshallbefoundandidentifiedwithintwoyearsafterthedayofmydeath。Failingthat，intrusttoyoutwotopayoverthewholeasabenefactionandlegacytotheFoundlingHospital。"
"Thoseareallyourinstructions，arethey，Mr。Wilding？"demandedBintrey，afterablanksilence，duringwhichnobodyhadlookedatanybody。
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