Helen complied with these instructions, and in due course received a civil line from Mr. Hand, to say that the extracts had been sent him from the country by one of his fellow-clerks, and he had locked them up, lest Mr. Michael Penfold, who was much respected in the office, should see them. He could not say where they came from; perhaps from some provincial paper. If of any value to Miss Rolleston, she was quite at liberty to keep them. He added there was a coffee-house in the city where she could read all the London papers of that date. This letter, which contained a great many more words than the other, was submitted to Undercliff. It puzzled him so that he set to work, and dissected every curve the writer's pen had made; but he could come to no positive conclusion, and he refused to utter his conjectures. "We are in a deep water," said he. Finally, he told his mother he was at a stand-still for the present. "But I am not," said Mrs. Undercliff. She added, after a while, "I think there's felony at the bottom of this." "Smells like it to me," said the expert. "Then I want you to do something very clever for me." "What is that?" "I want you to forge something." "Come! I say." "Quite innocent, I assure you." "Well, but it is a bad habit to commence." "All depends on the object. This is to take in a forger, that is all." The expert's eyes sparkled. He had always been sadly discontented with the efforts of forgers, and thought he could do better. "I'll do it," said he, gayly. CHAPTER LXI. GENERAL ROLLESTON and his daughter sat at breakfast in the hotel. General Rolleston was reading the _Times,_ and his eye lighted on something that made him start. He looked toward Helen, and his first impulse was to communicate it to her. But, on second thoughts, he preferred to put a question to her first. "You have never told the Wardlaws what those sailors said?" "No, papa. I still think they ought to have been told; but you know you positively forbade me." "Of course I did. Why afflict the old gentleman with such a tale? A couple of common sailors, who chose to fancy the ship was destroyed." "Who are better judges of such a thing than sailors?" "Well, my child, if you think so, I can't help it. All I say is, spare the old gentleman such a report. As for Arthur, to tell you the truth, I have mentioned the matter to him." "Ah, papa! Then why forbid me to tell him? What did he say?" "He was very much distressed. 'Destroy the ship my Helen was in,' said he. 'If I thought Wylie had done that, I'd kill him with my own hand, though I was hanged for it next minute.' I never saw the young fellow fire up so before. But when he came to think calmly over it a little while, he said: "I hope this slander will never reach my father's ears; it would grieve him deeply. I only laugh at it.'" "Laugh at it! and yet talk of killing?"