“I can furnish no other solution of the mystery,” answered the principal in the same tone. “But if that is the case, Mr. Scathe is very much to blame, and will not fail, to be made acquainted with my opinion to that effect.” Then raising his voice, he addressed Chewkle. “Be good enough to tell Mr. Grahame that I will send the deed up to him by one of my clerks.” “He told me to say, sir, that he couldn’t wait for that, so I was to bring it with me.” “He could not wait for _that!_ What do you mean?” “Well, sir, I s’pose he thought you might be busy and would put off sending the packet to him until it suited your convenience.” “Ah! I see--um! Well, deliver the message I have given you.” “But he said I warn’t to go without it.” “Return to Mr. Grahame, my man, and say I will send it up to--him--by--my--clerk!” exclaimed the solicitor, speaking, under increasing irritation, with marked emphasis. “Can’t go back without it, sir, on no consideration,” persisted Chewkle, assuming a dogged manner, “them’s my instructions.” The solicitor looked fiercely at him, and raising his voice, said-- “You can’t have it. I say--you--can’t--have it. It is not come-at-able at this moment! do you understand?” Chewkle quite understood that. It was certainly not come-at-able, unless some one picked the lock of his iron safe, but he appeared not to comprehend anything, except that he was ordered not to return without a paper. “Dolt!” growled the solicitor, angrily. He sat down and penned a note to Mr. Grahame, stating that his managing clerk--as the business was being pushed on--had the deed under his charge; he was at the moment down at Westminster engaged upon a cause, but that on his return the deed should be forwarded to Mr. Grahame. Folding up his note, and directing it, he gave it to Chewkle, saying-- “Deliver that to Mr. Grahame;” turning sharply to his clerk, he added, “Mr. Crumpler, show him out.” Mr. Crumpler caught Chewkle by the coat sleeve, drew him into the outer office, and pointed significantly to “the way out.” Chewkle exhibited his teeth--no mistaking them for pearls--to Mr. Crumpler, and obeyed the sign. He descended the stairs rapidly, and moved along the footway of the street, quivering in the throes of what he considered an immense triumph. “A hincome for life,” he muttered, “that deed will be as good as a ’nuity to me. I can bleed Grahame of jest whatever I pleases by threatening of him. I ain’t agoin’ to let him know I’ve got the forged hinstru-ment, but I shall, in good time, ’int as I knows where it is, and I can keep it dark, or blow it, jest whichever I likes. ‘Find it and send it up,’ ha! ha! by Mr. Walker I s’pose. They little thinks I nabbed it, none of ’em will ever dream o’ that--I could lay a ’undred to one about that, I could.” As he offered to lay these very long odds, he ran up against Nathan Gomer.