“Accursed book!” he suddenly exclaimed, hurling the _Annual Register_ across the apartment, as if the volume were a living thing, and endowed with human feelings, so as to be susceptible of the venting influence of his rage. But in the next moment he reflected that no trace of an untimely or mysterious visit to that library must remain,--that none must suspect his pryings or his researches: for not for worlds--no, not for worlds--would he have his father or mother know that he had made the discoveries which characterised this memorable night! He accordingly rose from his seat--raised the volume from the floor--and turned to the book-case to replace it. This act, so simple in itself, was destined to lead to a circumstance thenceforth influencing the entire destiny of Charles Hatfield: for as he thrust the volume back into the place on the shelf whence he had taken it, he heard a sharp abrupt sound, like the click of a lock. He was in that humour when every incident, however trivial, was calculated to assume an importance in his imagination; and, standing on a chair, he proceeded to examine the wainscotting at the back of the shelves--for which purpose he removed several of the books. To his surprise, he observed a small aperture formed by the opening of a sliding panel, and which revealed a recess in the wall of about a foot square,--the violence with which, in his excitement, he had thrust the book on the shelf, having acted on the secret spring whereby the panel was fastened. Under ordinary circumstances, Charles Hatfield would have immediately closed the recess, in which he beheld a small leathern case and a packet of letters,--in the same way as he would have abstained from reading a manuscript lying on a desk or evidently left about through inadvertence. But, on the present occasion, he was not his own master:--his honourable feelings were triumphed over by emotions of the most painful nature;--and it was impossible, in this state of mind, that he should avoid catching at any circumstance savouring of mystery,--every such circumstance apparently linking itself with his own concerns. Thus, obedient to an impulse which he could not controul, he seized the leathern case and the documents as if they were a glorious prize; and, returning to his seat, proceeded to examine them. The leathern case contained a roll of letters, and other documents _tied round with a piece of riband so faded that it was impossible to determine what its colour might have originally been_. The writing in the papers was, however, still completely legible--the leathern case, and the total absence of damp in the little recess, having preserved them for a period of half a century!