was of weak and imperfect intellect--that
she sent him by a trusty hand to a cheap school in Yorkshire--that she
had paid for his education for some years, and then, being poor, and
going a long way off, gradually deserted him, for which she prayed
forgiveness?'

Snawley nodded his head, and wiped his eyes; the first slightly, the
last violently.

'The school was Mr Squeers's,' continued Ralph; 'the boy was left there
in the name of Smike; every description was fully given, dates tally
exactly with Mr Squeers's books, Mr Squeers is lodging with you at this
time; you have two other boys at his school: you communicated the whole
discovery to him, he brought you to me as the person who had recommended
to him the kidnapper of his child; and I brought you here. Is that so?'

'You talk like a good book, sir, that's got nothing in its inside but
what's the truth,' replied Snawley.

'This is your pocket-book,' said Ralph, producing one from his coat;
'the certificates of your first marriage and of the boy's birth, and
your wife's two letters, and every other paper that can support these
statements directly or by implication, are here, are they?'

'Every one of 'em, sir.'

'And you don't object to their being looked at here, so that these
people may be convinced of your power to substantiate your claim at once
in law and reason, and you may resume your control over your own son
without more delay. Do I understand you?'

'I couldn't have understood myself better, sir.'

'There, then,' said Ralph, tossing the pocket-book upon the table. 'Let
them see them if they like; and as those are the original papers, I
should recommend you to stand near while they are being examined, or you
may chance to lose some.'

With these words Ralph sat down unbidden, and compressing his lips,
which were for the moment slightly parted by a smile, folded his arms,
and looked for the first time at his nephew.

Nicholas, stung by the concluding taunt, darted an indignant glance at
him; but commanding himself as well as he could, entered upon a close
examination of the documents, at which John Browdie assisted. There was
nothing about them which could be called in question. The certificates
were regularly signed as extracts from the parish books, the first
letter had a genuine appearance of having been written and preserved
for some years, the handwriting of the second tallied with it exactly,
(making proper allowance for its having been writ