his pocket
for the fatal lock of hair; and when he and Mrs. Peckover next met, the
first words he addressed to her announced his immediate departure for
Dibbledean.

She had strengthened her hold on his gratitude by getting him
permission, through the Rector of Bangbury, to occupy himself, without
molestation, in the work of repairing his sister's grave. She had
persuaded him to confide to her many of the particulars concerning
himself which he had refused to communicate at their first interview.
But when she tried, at parting, to fathom what his ultimate intentions
really were, now that he was leaving Bangbury with the avowed purpose
of discovering Arthur Carr, she failed to extract from him a single
sentence of explanation, or even so much as a word of reply. When he
took his farewell, he charged her not to communicate their meeting to
Mr. Blyth, till she heard from him or saw him again; and he tried once
more to thank her in as fit words as he could command, for the pity and
kindness she had shewn towards Mary Grice; but, to the very last, he
closed his lips resolutely on the ominous subject of Arthur Carr.

He had been a fortnight absent from London, when he set forth once more
for Dibbledean, to try that last chance of tracing out the hidden man,
which might be afforded him by a search among the papers of Joanna
Grice.

The astonishment and delight of Mr. Tatt when Matthew, appearing in the
character of a client at the desolate office door, actually announced
himself as the sole surviving son of old Joshua Grice, flowed out in
such a torrent of congratulatory words, that Mat was at first literally
overwhelmed by them. He soon recovered himself, however; and while Mr.
Tatt was still haranguing fluently about proving his client's identity,
and securing his client's right of inheritance, silenced the solicitor,
by declaring as bluntly as usual, that he had not come to Dibbledean to
be helped to get hold of money, but to be helped to get hold of
Joanna Grice's papers. This extraordinary announcement produced a long
explanation and a still longer discussion, in the middle of which
Mat lost his patience, and declared that he would set aside all legal
obstacles and delays forthwith, by going to Mr. Nawby's office, and
demanding of that gentleman, as the official guardian of the late Miss
Grice's papers, permission to look over the different documents which
the old woman might have left behind her.

It was to no earth