ut
the poor boy, and at last you do find out the poor boy, and me and Mrs
Boffin often exchange the observation, "We shall see him again,
under happy circumstances." But it was never to be; and the want of
satisfactoriness is, that after all the money never gets to him.'

'But it gets,' remarked Lightwood, with a languid inclination of the
head, 'into excellent hands.'

'It gets into the hands of me and Mrs Boffin only this very day and
hour, and that's what I am working round to, having waited for this day
and hour a' purpose. Mr Lightwood, here has been a wicked cruel
murder. By that murder me and Mrs Boffin mysteriously profit. For the
apprehension and conviction of the murderer, we offer a reward of one
tithe of the property--a reward of Ten Thousand Pound.'

'Mr Boffin, it's too much.'

'Mr Lightwood, me and Mrs Boffin have fixed the sum together, and we
stand to it.'

'But let me represent to you,' returned Lightwood, 'speaking now with
professional profundity, and not with individual imbecility, that the
offer of such an immense reward is a temptation to forced suspicion,
forced construction of circumstances, strained accusation, a whole
tool-box of edged tools.'

'Well,' said Mr Boffin, a little staggered, 'that's the sum we put o'
one side for the purpose. Whether it shall be openly declared in the new
notices that must now be put about in our names--'

'In your name, Mr Boffin; in your name.'

'Very well; in my name, which is the same as Mrs Boffin's, and means
both of us, is to be considered in drawing 'em up. But this is the first
instruction that I, as the owner of the property, give to my lawyer on
coming into it.'

'Your lawyer, Mr Boffin,' returned Lightwood, making a very short
note of it with a very rusty pen, 'has the gratification of taking the
instruction. There is another?'

'There is just one other, and no more. Make me as compact a little will
as can be reconciled with tightness, leaving the whole of the property
to "my beloved wife, Henerietty Boffin, sole executrix". Make it as
short as you can, using those words; but make it tight.'

At some loss to fathom Mr Boffin's notions of a tight will, Lightwood
felt his way.

'I beg your pardon, but professional profundity must be exact. When you
say tight--'

'I mean tight,' Mr Boffin explained.

'Exactly so. And nothing can be more laudable. But is the tightness to
bind Mrs Boffin to any and what conditions?'

'Bind Mrs Boffin?'