"Here, here, Matt," he whispered, "look!" and the paper quivered in his hands--"`Octavius Hardon, Lavinia Addison,' and signed by her old friend Miss Morris." "Right it is, so far," said Matt, holding his glasses to his eyes wrong way foremost, with both hands, "and just a year and a half before the baptism. Now you know, sir, I pitched it pretty strong before now, so as you shouldn't expect too much; but it's my belief that, after all said and done, we've got enough documentary evidence; and things seeming so very regular, if you had begun as you should have done, unless there was something very strong on the other side that we can't see through, you must have got a verdict. But then I hardly like for you to try on this only; for the law's a ticklish thing to deal with, and though this all looks so straightforward, it don't prove against what your uncle says, and will bring witnesses to swear." "But how can he?" exclaimed Septimus, in a whisper. "Ah," said Matt, refreshing himself after his wont, "how can he? Why, by means of that comical stuff as he's been so anxious to get hold of. Why, sir, he could find witnesses as would swear to any mortal thing on the face of this earth; they'd almost undertake to prove as you weren't born at all, sir. Mind, I don't say that they'd carry the day, sir; but I'm only telling you of what villainy there is in this world, and how you must be prepared, even to fighting the dev--I beg your pardon, sir," said Matt bashfully, as he pulled up short, having in his earnestness forgotten the presence of the third party. "I'm sorry to say that there's a great deal of truth in what you assert," said the curate quietly; for Septimus was looking at him in an appealing way as if expecting that he would demolish all that Matt had advanced. "Suborned witnesses are nothing new in this world of ours." "Pull out your note-book, sir, and let's take it down," said Matt; and as he spoke, he drew out an old dog's-eared memorandum-book and a stumpy fragment of lead pencil that would not mark without being kissed and coaxed every moment, when he copied the entry most carefully, compared it with the original, and then with that just made by Septimus Hardon. "Really," said the clergyman at parting, "I am extremely glad to have met you this morning, and you may depend upon finding us in better order at your next visit." "There has been no trickery there you see, Matt," said Septimus, as they stood once more in the street; "all seems straightforward." "Just so, sir; your uncle seems to have some game of his own that I can't quite see through as yet; but stop a bit. Good sort o' chap that young parson. I'll ask him to dinner some day, though he didn't say, `Take a glass of sherry, Matthew Space.' Then how careful you ought to be! Now I should have been ready to swear that your precious uncle had been at them books. S'pose he ain't so much older than you, sir?"