or not.

He went to Queen Anne's Court one evening soon after his return, and told
Mr. Nowell all he had discovered at Wygrove. The old man showed himself
keenly interested in his grand-daughter's fate.

"I would give a great deal to see her before I die," he said. "Whatever I
have to leave will be hers. It may be little or much--I won't speak about
that; but I've lived a hard life, and saved where other men would have
spent. I should like to see my son's child; I should like to have some
one of my own flesh and blood about me in my last days."

"Would it not be a good plan to put an advertisement into the _Times_,
addressed to Mrs. Holbrook, from a relation? She would be likely to
answer that, when she would not reply to any appeal coming directly from
me."

"Yes," answered Jacob Nowell; "and her husband would let her come to me
for the sake of what I may have to leave her. But that can't be helped, I
suppose; it is the fate of a man who lives as I have lived, to be cared
for at last only for what he has to give. I'll put in such an
advertisement as you speak of; and we'll see what comes of it."

CHAPTER XII.

A FRIENDLY COUNSELLOR.

Gilbert Fenton called several times in the Temple without being able to
see John Saltram; a slip of paper pasted on the outer door of that
gentleman's chamber informed the public that he was "out of town," and
that was all. Gilbert took the trouble to penetrate the domicile of the
laundress who officiated in Mr. Saltram's chambers, in order to obtain
some more particular information as to her employer's movements, and
after infinite difficulty succeeded in finding that industrious matron in
the remote obscurity of a narrow court near the river. But the laundress
could tell Mr. Fenton very little. She did not know whither Mr. Saltram
had gone, or when he was likely to return. He was one of the most
uncertingest gentlemen she had to do for; and he had been out of town a
great deal lately; which was not to be wondered at, considering the
trying hot weather, when it was not to be supposed that gentlefolks as
was free to do what they pleased would stay in London. It was hard enough
upon working people with five children to wash and mend and cook for, and
over in the court besides, and provisions dearer than they had been these
ten years. Gilbert asked if Mr. Saltram had left any orders about his
letters; but the woman told him, no; there never was such a careless
gentleman about