he had got himself cleverly out of a
knotty difficulty.

"I don't see, after all, Mr. Rotherham," he observed to the vicar, as
they stood together, in a corner of the room, waiting the return of the
secretary; "what he lugged in that school-boy Latin for--_nullus, nulla,
nullum_! Can you possibly explain _that_?"

"Not unless it was Sir Wycherly's desire to say, that Sir Reginald,
being descended from a younger son, was nobody--as yet, had no
woman--and I believe he is not married--and was poor, or had 'no
_thing_.'"

"And is Sir Wycherly such a desperate scholar, that he would express
himself in this hieroglyphical manner, on what I fear will prove to be
his death-bed?"

"Why, Sir Gervaise, Sir Wycherly was educated like all other young
gentlemen, but has forgotten most of his classics, in the course of a
long life of ease and affluence. Is it not probable, now, that his
recollection has returned to him suddenly, in consequence of this
affection of the head? I think I have read of some curious instances of
these reviving memories, on a death-bed, or after a fit of sickness."

"Ay, that you may have done!" exclaimed Sir Gervaise, smiling; "and
poor, good Sir Wycherly, must have begun afresh, at the very place where
he left off. But here is Atwood, again."

After a short consultation, the three chosen witnesses returned to the
bed-side, the admiral being spokesman.

"The express will be off in ten minutes. Sir Wycherly," he said; "and
you may hope to see your relative, in the course of the next two or
three days."

"Too late--too late," murmured the patient, who had an inward
consciousness of his true situation; "too late--turn the will round--Sir
Reginald, Tom;--Tom, Sir Reginald. Turn the will round."

"Turn the will round!--this is very explicit, gentlemen, to those who
can understand it. Sir Reginald, Tom;--Tom, Sir Reginald. At all events,
it is clear that his mind is dwelling on the disposition of his
property, since he speaks of wills. Atwood, make a note of these words,
that there need be no mistake. I wonder he has said nothing of our brave
young lieutenant, his namesake. There can be no harm, Mr. Rotherham, in
just mentioning that fine fellow to him, in a moment like this?"

"I see none, sir. It is _our_ duty to remind the sick of _their_
duties."

"Do you not wish to see your young namesake, Lieutenant _Wycherly_
Wychecombe, Sir Wycherly?" asked the admiral; sufficiently emphasizing
the Christia