"To be sure!" continued Sir Charles, with much animation. "Their case will be as it were laid on the rack, when the process of the ecclesiastical court is applied to it. You have an examiner on the spot--all secret and mysterious--proctors ferreting out all sorts of old registers and musty documents, that _we_ should never think of. 'T is quite in their line--births, deaths, and marriages, and everything connected with them. By Jove! _if_ there's a flaw, you'll discover it in _this_ way!" "Oh, heavens!" cried Mr. Runnington, with grateful glee, "your hint is worth thousands upon thousands of pounds"---- "If it only produce _Ten Thousand a-Year_--ah, hah!" interrupted Sir Charles, laughing good-naturedly; and very soon afterwards Mr. Runnington quitted his chambers, charmed and excited by the masterly suggestion which had been made to him, and resolved to go off to his proctor _instanter_, set about acting upon the hint forthwith, and get a kind of general notion of the process which he thought of commencing. You might, within an hour's time, have seen Mr. Runnington closeted with the proctor always employed by his firm--Mr. OBADIAH POUNCE--a man whose look told you he was made for penetrating into and poking about anything musty, or obscure. He was, indeed, thoroughly up to his business--in fact, not an abler or more experienced proctor was to be found in Doctor's Commons. As Mr. Pounce was not entirely unacquainted with the facts--having drawn up the case which had been submitted to Dr. FLARE for his opinion as to the admissibility to probate of Mr. Parkinson's draft of Lady Stratton's intended will--it did not take long to put him in possession of the wishes and intentions of Mr. Runnington. "Let us come away to Dr. Flare at once," quoth Pounce, putting his watch into his fob--"You'll catch him at home just now, I know, and perhaps in good-humor; and a short consultation with _him_ will be worth half a dozen written opinions."