"Oh, certainly--yes," replied Mr. Gammon, slightly coloring at the distrust implied by this observation; "I applaud your caution, Mr. Titmouse. By all means keep these documents, and most carefully; because, (I do not say that they _are_,) but it is quite possible that they may become rather valuable--to _you_." "Thank you, sir; and now, hoping you'll excuse the liberty," said Titmouse, with a very anxious air, "I should most uncommonly like to know what all this means--what is to turn up out of it all?" "The law, my dear sir, is proverbially uncertain"---- "Oh, Lord! but the law can surely give one a _hint_"---- "_The law never hints_," interrupted Mr. Gammon, impressively, with a bland smile. "Well then, how did you come, sir, to know that there ever was such a person as Mr. Gabriel Titmouse, my father? And what can come from _him_, seeing he was only a bit of a shoemaker--unless he's _heir_ to something?" "Ah, yes--exactly; those are very interesting questions, Mr. Titmouse--very!"---- "Yes, sir; and them and many more I was going to ask long ago, but I saw you were"---- "Sir, I perceive that we have positively been absent from your place of business nearly an hour--your employers will be getting rather impatient." "Meaning no offence, sir--bother _their_ impatience! _I'm_ impatient, I assure you, to know what all this means. Come, sir, 'pon my life I've told _you_ everything! It isn't quite fair!" "Why, certainly, you see, Mr. Titmouse," said Gammon, with an agreeable smile--(it was that smile of his which had been the making of Mr. Gammon)--"it is only candid in me to acknowledge that your curiosity is perfectly reasonable, and your frankness very obliging; and I see no difficulty in admitting at once, that _I have_ had a--motive"---- "Yes, sir--and all that--_I_ know, sir,"--hastily interrupted Titmouse, but without irritating or disturbing the placid speaker. "And that we waited with some anxiety for the result of our advertisement." "Ah, you can't escape from _that_, you know, sir!" interposed Titmouse, with a confident air. "But it is a maxim with us, my dear sir, never to be premature in anything, especially when it may be--very prejudicial; you've really no idea, my dear Mr. Titmouse, of the world of mischief that is often done by precipitancy in legal matters; and in the present stage of the business--the _present_ stage, my dear sir--I really do see it necessary not to--do anything premature, and without consulting my partners." "Lord, sir!" exclaimed Titmouse, getting more and more irritated and impatient as he reflected on the length of his absence from Tag-rag & Co.'s. "I quite feel for your anxiety--so perfectly natural"---- "Oh, dear sir! if you'd only tell me the _least bit_"---- "If, my dear sir, I were to disclose just now the exact object we had in inserting that advertisement in the papers"---- "How did you come to know of it at all, sir? Come, there can't be any harm in _that_ anyhow"----