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least；　I　conceived　that　it　was　necessary；　that　I　
should　attain　to　a　perfect　knowledge　of　Eastern　
dialects；　especially　Arabic。　It　was　to　facilitate　my　
studies　that　I　came　here。　Very　soon；　however；　my　
disease　developed　itself；　and　now　there　is　an　end　of　
me。〃　And；　as　though　to　emphasize　his　words；　he　burst　
into　another　terrible　fit　of　coughing。

I　gave　him　some　more　whiskey；　and　after　resting　he　
went　on；

〃I　have　never　seen　my　boy；　Leo；　since　he　was　a　tiny　
baby。　I　never　could　bear　to　see　him；　but　they　tell　me　
that　he　is　a　quick　and　handsome　child。　In　this　
envelope；〃　and　he　produced　a　letter　from　his　pocket　
addressed　to　myself；　〃I　have　jotted　down　the　course　I　
wish　followed　in　the　boy's　education。　It　is　a　somewhat　
peculiar　one。　At　any　rate；　I　could　not　intrust　it　to　a　
stranger。　Once　more；　will　you　undertake　it？〃

〃I　must　first　know　what　I　am　to　undertake；〃　I　
answered。

〃You　are　to　undertake　to　have　the　boy；　Leo；　to　live　
with　you　till　he　is　twenty…five　years　of　agenot　to　
send　him　to　school；　remember。　On　his　twenty…fifth　
birthday　your　guardianship　will　end；　and　you　will　
then；　with　the　keys　that　I　give　you　now〃　（and　he　
placed　them　on　the　table）；　〃open　the　iron　box；　and　let　
him　see　and　read　the　contents；　and　say　whether　or　not　
he　is　willing　to　undertake　the　quest。　There　is　no　
obligation　on　him　to　do　so。　Now；　as　regards　terms。　My　
present　income　is　two　thousand　two　hundred　a　year。　
Half　of　that　income　I　have　secured　to　you　by　will　for　
life　contingently　on　your　undertaking　the　
guardianshipthat　is；　one　thousand　a　year　
remuneration　to　yourself；　for　you　will　have　to　give　up　
your　life　to　it；　and　one　hundred　a　year　to　pay　for　the　
board　of　the　boy。　The　rest　is　to　accumulate　till　Leo　
is　twenty…five；　so　that　there　may　be　a　sum　in　hand　
should　he　wish　to　undertake　the　quest　of　which　I　
spoke。〃

〃And　suppose　I　were　to　die？〃　I　asked。　

〃Then　the　boy　must　become　a　ward　of　Chancery　and　take　
his　chance。　Only　be　careful　that　the　iron　chest　is　
passed　on　to　him　by　your　will。　Listen；　Holly；　don't　
refuse　me。　Believe　me；　this　is　to　your　advantage。　You　
are　not　fit　to　mix　with　the　worldit　would　only　
embitter　you。　In　a　few　weeks　you　will　become　a　Fellow　
of　your　College；　and　the　income　that　you　will　derive　
from　that　combined　with　what　I　have　left　you　will　
enable　you　to　live　a　life　of　learned　leisure；　
alternated　with　the　sport　of　which　you　are　so　fond；　
such　as　will　exactly　suit　you。〃

He　paused　and　looked　at　me　anxiously；　but　I　still　
hesitated。　The　charge　seemed　so　very　strange。

〃For　my　sake；　Holly。　We　have　been　good　friends；　and　I　
have　no　time　to　make　other　arrangements。〃

〃Very　well；〃　I　said；　〃I　will　do　it；　provided　there　is　
nothing　in　this　paper　to　make　me　change　my　mind；〃　and　
I　touched　the　envelope　he　had　put　upon　the　table　by　
the　keys。

〃Thank　you；　Holly；　thank　you。　There　is　nothing　at　all。　
Swear　to　me　by　God　that　you　will　be　a　father　to　the　
boy；　and　follow　my　directions　to　the　letter。〃　

〃I　swear　it；〃　I　answered；　solemnly。　

〃Very　well；　remember　that　perhaps　one　day　I　shall　ask　
for　the　account　of　your　oath；　for　though　I　am　dead　and　
forgotten；　yet　shall　I　live。　There　is　no　such　thing　as　
death；　Holly；　only　a　change；　and；　as　you　may　perhaps　
learn　in　time　to　come；　I　believe　that　even　here　that　
change　could　under　certain　circumstances　be　
indefinitely　postponed；〃　and　again　he　broke　into　one　
of　his　dreadful　fits　of　coughing。

〃There；〃　he　said；　〃I　must　go；　you　have　the　chest；　and　
my　will　will　be　found　among　my　papers；　under　the　
authority　of　which　the　child　will　be　handed　over　to　
you。　You　will　be　well　paid；　Holly；　and　I　know　that　you　
are　honest；　but　if　you　betray　my　trust；　by　Heaven；　I　
will　haunt　you！〃

I　said　nothing；　being；　indeed；　too　bewildered　to　
speak。

He　held　up　the　candle；　and　looked　at　his　own　face　in　
the　glass；　It　had　been　a　beautiful　face；　but　disease　
had　wrecked　it。　〃Food　for　the　worms；〃　he　said。　
〃Curious　to　think　that　in　a　few　hours　I　shall　be　stiff　
and　coldthe　journey　done；　the　little　game　played　
out。　Ah　me；　Holly！　life　is　not　worth　the　trouble　of　
life；　except　when　one　is　in　loveat　least；　mine　has　
not　been；　but　the　boy　Leo's　may　be　if　he　has　the　
courage　and　the　faith。　Good…bye；　my　friend！〃　and　with　
a　sudden　excess　of　tenderness　he　flung　his　arm　about　
me　and　kissed　me　on　the　forehead；　and　then　turned　to　
go：

〃Look　here；　Vincey；〃　I　said；　〃if　you　are　as　ill　as　you　
think；　you　had　better　let　me　fetch　a　doctor。〃

〃No；　no；〃　he　said；　earnestly。　〃Promise　me　that　you　
won't。　I　am　going　to　die；　and；　like　a　poisoned　rat；　I　
wish　to　die　alone。〃

〃I　don't　believe　that　you　are　going　to　do　anything　of　
the　sort；〃　I　answered。　He　smiled；　and；　with　the　word　
〃Remember〃　on　his　lips；　was　gone。　As　for　myself；　I　sat　
down　and　rubbed　my　eyes；　wondering　if　I　had　been　
asleep。　As　this　supposition　would　not　bear　
investigation；　I　gave　it　up；　and　began　to　think　that　
Vincey　must　have　been　drinking。　I　knew　that　he　was；　
and　had　been；　very　ill；　but　still　it　seemed　impossible　
that　he　could　be　in　such　a　condition　as　to　be　able　to　
know　for　certain　that　he　would　not　outlive　the　night。　
Had　he　been　so　near　dissolution　surely　he　would　
scarcely　have　been　able　to　walk；　and　carry　a　heavy　
iron　box　with　him。　The　whole　story；　on　reflection；　
seemed　to　me　utterly　incredible；　for　I　was　not　then　
old　enough　to　be　aware　how　many　things　happen　in　this　
world　that　the　commonsense　of　the　average　man　would　
set　down　as　so　improbable　as　to　be　absolutely　
impossible。　This　is　a　fact　that　I　have　only　recently　
mastered。　Was　it　likely　that　a　man　would　have　a　son　
five　years　of　age　whom　he　had　never　seen　since　he　was　
a　tiny　infant？　No。　Was　it　likely　that　he　could　
foretell　his　own　death　so　accurately？　No。　Was　it　
likely　that　he　could　trace　his　pedigree　for　more　than　
three　centuries　before　Christ　or　that　he　would　
suddenly　confide　the　absolute　guardianship　of　his　
child；　and　leave　half　his　fortune；　to　a　college　
friend？　Most　certainly　not。　Clearly　Vincey　was　either　
drunk　or　mad。　That　being　so；　what　did　it　mean？　and　
what　was　in　the　sealed　iron　chest？

The　whole　thing　baffled　and　puzzled　me　to　such　an　
extent　that　at　last　I　could　stand　it　no　longer；　and　
determined　to　sleep　over　it；　So　I　jumped　up；　and　
having　put　the　keys　and　the　letter　that　Vincey　had　
left　away　into　my　despatch…box；　and　stowed　the　iron　
chest　in　a　large　portmanteau；　I　turned　in；　and　was　
soon　fast　asleep。

As　it　seemed　to　me；　I　had　only　been　asleep　for　a　few　
minutes　when　I　was　awakened　by　somebody　calling　me。　I　
sat　up　and　rubbed　my　eyes；　it　was　broad　daylight
eight　o'clock；　in　fact。

〃Why；　what　is　the　matter　with　you；　John？〃　I　asked　of　
the　gyp　who　waited　on　Vincey　and　myself。　〃You　look　as　
though　you　had　seen　a　ghost！〃'

〃Yes；　sir；　and　so　I　have；〃　he　answered；　〃leastways　
I've　seen　a　corpse；　which　is　worse。　I've　been　in　to　
call　Mr。　Vincey；　as　usual；　and　there　he　lies　stark　and　
dead！〃

CHAPTER　II

THE　YEARS　ROLL　BY

OF　course；　poor　Vincey's　sudden　death　created　a　great　
stir　in　the　college；　but；　as　he　was　known　to　be　very　
ill；　and　a　satisfactory　doctor's　certificate　was　
forthcoming；　there　was　no　inquest。　They　were　not　so　
particular　about　inquests　in　those　days　as　they　are　
now；　indeed；　they　were　generally　disliked；　as　causing　
a　scandal。　Under　all　these　circumstances；　as　I　was　
asked　no　questions；　I　did　not　feel　called　upon　to　
volunteer　any　information　about　our　interview　of　the　
night　of　Vincey's　decease；　beyond　saying　that　he　had　
come　into　my　rooms　to　see　me；　as　he　often　did。　On　the　
day　of　the　funeral　a　lawyer　came　down　from　London　and　
followed　my　poor　friend's　remains　to　the　grave；　and　
then　went　back　with　his　papers　and　effects；　except；　of　
course；　the　iron　chest　which　had　been　left　in　my　
keeping。　For　a　week　after　this　I　heard　no　more　of　the　
matter；　and；　indeed；　my　attention　was　amply　occupied　
in　other　ways；　for　I　was　up　for　my　Fellowship；　a　fact　
that　had　prevented　me　from　attending　the　funeral　or　
seeing　the　lawyer。　At　last；　however；　the　examination　
was　over；　and　I　came　back　to　my　rooms　and　sank　into　an　
easy…chair　with　a　happy　consciousness　that　I　had　got　
through　it　very　fairly。

Soon；　however；　my　thoughts；　relieved　of　the　pressure　
that　had　crushed　them　into　a　single　groove　during　the　
last　few　days；　turned　to　the　events　of　the　night　of　
poor　Vincey's　death；　and　again　I　asked　myself　what　it　
all　meant；　and　wondered　if　I　should　hear　anything　more　
of　the　matter；　and　if　I　did　not；　what　it　would　be　my　
duty　to　do　with　the　curious　iron　chest。　I　sat　there　
and　thought　and　thought　till　I　began　to　grow　quite　
disturbed　over　the　whole　occurrence：　the　mysterious　
midnight　visit；　the　prophecy　of　death　so　shortly　to　be　
fulfilled；　the　solemn　oath　that　I　had　taken；　and　which　
Vincey　had　called　on　me　to　answer　to　in　another　world　
than　this。　Had　the　man　committed　suicide？　It　looked　
like　it。　And　what　was　the　quest　of　which　he　spoke？　The　
circumstances　were　almost　uncanny；　so　much　so　that；　
though　I　am　by　no　means　nervous；　or　apt　to　be　alarmed　
at　anything　that　may　seem　to　cross　the　bounds　of　the　
natural；　I　grew　afraid；　and　began　to　wish　I　had　had　
nothing　to　do　with　it。　How　much　more　do　I　wish　it　now；　
over　twenty　years　afterwards！

As　I　sat　and　thought；　there　was　a　knock　at　the　door；　
and　a　letter；　in　a　big　blue　envelope；　was　brought　in　
to　me。　I　saw　at　a　glance　that　it　was　a　lawyer's　
letter；　and　an　instinct　told　me　that　it　was　connected　
with　my　trust。　The　letter；　which；　I　still　have；　runs　
thus：

〃Sir；Our　client；　the　late　M。　L。　Vincey；　Esq。；　who　
died　on　the　9th　instant　in　…　College；　Cambridge；　has　
left　behind　him　a　will；　of　which　you　will　please　find　
copy　enclosed；　and　of　which　we　are　the　executors。　By　
this　will　you　will　perceive　that　you　take　a　life…
interest　in　about　half　of　the　late　Mr。　Vincey's　
property；　now　invested　in　consols；　subject　to　your　
acceptance　of　the　guardianship　of　his　only　son；　Leo　
Vincey；　at　present　an　infant；　aged　five。　Had　we　not　
ourselves　drawn　up　the　document　in　question　in　
obedience　to　Mr。　Vincey's　clear　and　precise　
instructions；　both　personal　and　written；　and　had　he　
not　then　assured　us　that　he　h