up between us, and shook them, and in most cases found out that
there were secret drawers containing other treasures. There was one
packet of letters which caught my eye, it was from a Miss De Benyon. I
seized it immediately, and showed the inscription to Mr Cophagus.
"Pooh--nothing at all--her mother was a De Benyon."

"Have you any objection to my looking at these letters?"

"No--read--nothing in them."

I laid them on one side, and we proceeded in our search, when Mr Cophagus
took up a sealed packet. "Heh! what's this--De Benyon again? Japhet, look
here."

I took the packet; it was sealed, and tied with red tape. "Papers
belonging to Lieutenant William De Benyon, to be returned to him at my
decease." "Alice Maitland, _with great_ care," was written at the bottom
of the envelope.

"This is it, my dear sir," cried I, jumping up and embracing Mr Cophagus
"these are the papers which I require. May I keep them?"

"Mad--quite mad--go to Bedlam--strait waistcoat--head shaved, and so on."

Chapter XLIII

I am not content with minding my own business, but must have a
hand in that of others, by which means I put my foot in it.

He then, after his own fashion, told me, that as executor, he must
retain those papers; pointed out to me the little probability there
was of their containing any information relative to my birth, even
allowing that a person of the name of De Benyon did call at the
Foundling to ask for me, which was only a supposition; and, finally,
overthrew all the hopes which had been, for so many days, buoying me
up. When he had finished, I threw myself upon the sofa in despair, and
wished, at the moment, that I had never been born. Still hope again
rose uppermost, and I would have given all I possessed to have been
able to break open the seals of that packet, and have read the contents.
At one moment I was so frantic, that I was debating whether I should not
take them from Mr Cophagus by force, and run off with them. At last I
rose, and commenced reading the letters which I had put aside, but there
was nothing in them but the trifling communications of two young women,
who mentioned what was amusing to them, but uninteresting to those who
were not acquainted with the parties.

When we had finished, Mr Cophagus collected all together, and putting
them into a box, we returned in a coach to the hotel. The next day Mr
Cophagus had completed all his arrangements, and the day following had
d