Gammon, and Snap, became possessed of
the important information which had put them into motion, as we have
seen, to find out by advertisement one yet unknown to them, it will not
be necessary for some time to explain. Theirs was a keen house, truly,
and dealing principally in the criminal line of business; and they would
not, one may be sure, have lightly committed themselves to their present
extent, namely, in inserting such an advertisement in the newspapers,
and, above all, going so far in their disclosures to Titmouse. Their
prudence in the latter step, however, was very questionable to
themselves even; and they immediately afterwards deplored together the
precipitation with which Mr. Quirk had communicated to Titmouse the
nature and extent of his possible good fortune. It was Mr. Quirk's own
doing, however, and done after as much expostulation as the cautious
Gammon could venture to use. I say they had not _lightly_ taken up the
affair; they had not "acted unadvisedly." They were fortified, first, by
the opinion of Mr. MORTMAIN, an able and experienced conveyancer, who
thus wound up an abstrusely learned opinion on the voluminous "case"
which had been submitted to him:--

"...Under all these circumstances, and assuming as above, I am
decidedly of opinion that the title to the estates in question is
at this moment not in their present possessor, (who represents the
younger branch of the Dreddlington family,) but in the descendants
of Stephen Dreddlington, through the female line; which brings us
to Gabriel Tittlebat Titmouse. This person, however, seems not to
have been at all aware of the existence of his rights, or he could
hardly have been concerned in the pecuniary arrangements mentioned
at fol. 33 of the case. Probably something may be heard of his heir
by making careful inquiry in the neighborhood where he was last
heard of, and issuing advertisements for his heir-at-law; care, of
course, being taken not to be so specific in the terms of such
advertisements as to attract the notice of A. B., (the party now in
possession.) If such person should, by the means above suggested,
be discovered, I advise proceedings to be commenced forthwith,
under the advice of some gentleman of experience at the common-law
bar.
"MOULDY MORTMAIN.
"_Lincoln's Inn, January_ 19, 18--."

This