fers to the personal estate."

"Bravo!" cried Sir Gervaise, fairly rubbing his hands with delight.
"Bravo, Dick; if we were aboard the Plantagenet, by the Lord, I'd turn
the hands up, and have three cheers. So then, my brave young seaman, you
turn out to be Sir Wycherly Wychecombe, after all!"

"Yes, that's the way we always does, on board ship," observed Galleygo,
to the group of domestics; "whenever any thing of a hallooing character
turns up. Sometimes we makes a signal to Admiral Blue and the rest on
'em, to 'stand by to cheer,' and all of us sets to, to cheer as if our
stomachs was lull of hurrahs, and we wanted to get rid on 'em. If Sir
Jarvy would just pass the word now, you'd have a taste of that 'ere
custom, that would do your ears good for a twelvemonth. It's a cheering
matter when the one of the trade falls heir to an estate."

"And would this be a proper mode of settling a question of a right of
property, Sir Gervaise Oakes?" asked Tom, with more of right and reason
than he commonly had of his side; "and that, too, with my uncle lying
dead beneath this roof?"

"I acknowledge the justice of the reproof, young sir, and will say no
more in the matter--at least, nothing as indiscreet as my last speech.
Sir Reginald, you have the affair in hand, and I recommend it to your
serious attention."

"Fear nothing, Sir Gervaise," answered he of Hertfordshire. "Justice
shall be done in the premises, if justice rule in England. Your story,
young gentleman, is probable, and naturally told, and I see a family
likeness between you and the Wychecombes, generally; a likeness that is
certainly not to be traced in the person of the other claimant. Did the
point depend on the legitimacy of Mr. Thomas Wychecombe, it might be
easily determined, as I have his own mother's declaration to the fact of
his illegitimacy, as well as of one other material circumstance that may
possibly unsettle even the late Baron Wychecombe's will. But this
testamentary devise of Sir Wycherly appears to be perfect, and nothing
but the entail can defeat it. You speak of your proofs; where are they?
It is all-important to know which party is entitled to possession."

"Here they are, sir," answered Wycherly, removing a belt from his body,
and producing his papers; "not in the originals, certainly; for most of
_them_ are matters of official record, in Virginia; but in, what the
lawyers call 'exemplified copies,' and which I am told are in a fit
state to