In order to avoid unnecessary details we shall now concisely state that Smithers and his son paid the visit agreed upon to Katherine Wilmot. Smithers communicated to her, when they were alone together for half an hour, so much of his own history as involved all the particulars with which he was acquainted concerning her parentage. The grateful girl expressed a deeper sense of obligation than she had ever yet experienced towards the individual who had supported her for so many years, although she had no claims of relationship upon him. After one of the most agreeable days which the _late_ executioner and his son had ever passed in their lives, they took leave of Katherine and the worthy people of the farm, and returned to London. Poor Katherine Wilmot! she had that day learnt more concerning her parentage than she had ever known before; but she would have been happier, perhaps, had her original impressions on that subject never been disturbed! Still Markham had conceived it to be a duty which was owing to the young maiden, to permit Smithers thus to reveal to her those circumstances which seemed to fix her with the stigma of illegitimacy. That night her pillow was moistened with abundant tears, as she lay and reflected upon her lamented mother! On the appointed evening Smithers and his son called at Markham Place. They were conducted by Whittingham to a parlour, where the table was spread with a handsome collation, places being arranged for three persons. "Sit down, my friends," said Richard Markham, who received them with a warmth far more encouraging than mere courtesy: "after supper we will transact the business for which I have requested your presence here." "What, sir!" ejaculated Smithers; "can you condescend to have _me_ at your table?" "Not as you lately were," answered Richard: "I receive you as a regenerated man." John Smithers (for we shall suppress his nickname of _Gibbet_, as his father had already done so) cast a glance of profound gratitude upon our hero, in acknowledgment of a behaviour that could not do otherwise than confirm his father in his anxious endeavours to adopt a course of mental improvement. Smithers' confidence increased, when he had imbibed a glass or two of generous wine; and he related to Markham the particulars of his interview with Katharine. Then was it for the first time the hump-back learnt that Katherine was not his cousin. He said nothing; but, as he drank in all that fell from his father's lips, two large tears rolled down his cheeks. When the supper was over, Richard addressed Smithers in the following manner:—