breath. He went out instantly to answer the
knock; and returned, leading in a respectable-looking
elderly man, dressed like Trottle, all
in black, with a white cravat, but otherwise
not at all resembling him.

"I am afraid I have made some mistake,"
said the stranger.

Trottle, considerately taking the office of
explanation into his own hands, assured the
gentleman that there was no mistake;
mentioned to him who I was; and asked him if
he had not come on business connected wish
the late Mr. Forley. Looking greatly
astonished, the gentleman answered, " Yes."
There was an awkward moment of silence,
after that. The stranger seemed to be not
only startled and amazed, but rather
distrustful and fearful of committing himself as
well. Noticing this, I thought it best to
request Trottle to put an end to further
embarrassment, by stating all particulars
truthfully, as he had stated them to me; and
I begged the gentleman to listen patiently
for the late Mr. Forley's sake. He bowed
to me very respectfully, and said he was
prepared to listen with the greatest interest.

It was evident to me and, I could see, to
Trottle also that we were not dealing, to
say the least, with a dishonest man.

"Before I offer any opinion on what I
have heai'd," he said, earnestly and anxiously,
after Trottle had done, " I must be allowed,
in justice to myself, to explain my own
apparent connection with this very strange
and very shocking business. I was the
confidential legal adviser of the late Mr. Forley,
and I am left his executor. Rather more
than a fortnight back, when Mr. Forley was
confined to his room by illness, he sent for
me, and charged me to call and pay a certain
sum of money here, to a man and woman
whom I should find taking charge of the
house. He said he had reasons for wishing
the affair to be kept a secret. He begged me
so to arrange my engagements that I could
call at this place either on Monday last, or
to-day, at dusk; and he mentioned that he
would write to warn the people of my
coning, without mentioning my name
(Dalcott is my name) as he did not wish
to expose me to any future importunities on
the part of the man and woman. I need
hardly tell you that this commission struck me
as being a strange one; but, in my position with
Mr. Forley, I had no resource but to accept
it without asking questions, or to break off
my long and friendly connection with my
client. I chose the first alternative. Business
prevented me from doing my errand on
Monday last and if I am here to-day,
notwithstanding Mr. Forley's unexpected death,
it is emphatically because I understood
nothing of the matter, on knocking at this
door; and therefore felt myself bound, as
executor, to clear it up. That, on my word
of honour, is the whole truth, so far as I am
personally concerned."

"I feel quite sure of it, sir," I answered.
"You mentioned Mr. Forley's death, just
now, as unexpected. May I inquire if you
were present, and if he has left any last
instructions?"

"Three hours before Mr. Forley's death,"
said Mr. Dalcott, " his medical attendant left
him apparently in a fair way of recovery.
The change for the worse took place so
suddenly, and was accompanied by such severe
suffering, as entirely to prevent him from
communicating his last wishes to any one.
When I reached his house, he was insensible.
I have since examined his papers. Not one
of them refers to the present time, or to the
serious matter which now occupies us. In
the absence of instructions, I must act
cautiously on what you have told me; but
I will be rigidly fair and just at the same
time. The first thing to be done," he
continued, addressing himself to Trottle,
"is to hear what the man and woman,
down-stairs, have to say. If you can supply
me with writing-materials, I will take their
declarations separately on the spot, in your
presence, and in the presence of the
policeman who is watching the house.
Tomorrow I will send copies of those declarations,
accompanied by a full statement of the
case, to Mr. and Mrs. Bayne in Canada (both
of whom know me well as the late Mr.
Foi'ley's legal adviser); and I will suspend
all proceedings, on my part, until I hear from
them, or from their solicitor in London. In
the present posture of affairs this is all I can
safely do."

We could do no less than agree with him,
and thank him for his frank and honest
manner of meeting us. It was arranged
that I should send over the writing materials
from my lodgings; and, to my unutterable
joy and relief, it was also readily
acknowledged that the poor little orphan boy could
find no fitter refuge than my old arms were
longing to offer him, and no safer protection
for the night than my roof could give.
Trottle hastened away up-stairs, as actively
as if he had been a young man, to fetch the
child down.

And he brought him down to me without
another moment of delay, and I went on
my knees before the poor little Mite, and
embraced him, and asked him if he would go
with me to where I lived? He held me
away for a moment, and his wan, shrewd
little eyes looked sharp at me. Then h
clung close to rne all at once, and said:

"I'm a-going along with you, I am and
so I tell you!"

For inspiring the poor neglected child with
this trust in my old self, I thanked Heaven,
then, with all my heart and soul, and I thank
it now!

I bundled the poor darling up in my own
cloak, and I carried him in my own arms
across the road. Peggy was lost in speechless
amazement to behold me trudging out of