letter
which had been very often inspected during the last ten days was
handed to Mr Squercum. 'It's a stiff resemblance;--such as he never
could have written had he tried it ever so.'

'Perhaps not, Mr Squercum. We are not generally on the look out for
forgeries in letters from our clients or our clients' sons.'

'Just so, Mr Bideawhile. But then Mr Longestaffe had already told you
that his son would not sign the letter.'

'How is one to know when and how and why a young man like that will
change his purpose?'

'Just so, Mr Bideawhile. But you see, after such a declaration as that
on the part of my client's father, the letter,--which is in itself a
little irregular perhaps--'

'I don't know that it's irregular at all.'

'Well;--it didn't reach you in a very confirmatory manner. We'll just
say that. What Mr Longestaffe can have been at to wish to give up his
title-deeds without getting anything for them--'

'Excuse me, Mr Squercum, but that's between Mr Longestaffe and us.'

'Just so;--but as Mr Longestaffe and you have jeopardised my client's
property it is natural that I should make a few remarks. I think you'd
have made a few remarks yourself, Mr Bideawhile, if the case had been
reversed. I shall bring the matter before the Lord Mayor, you know.'
To this Mr Bideawhile said not a word. 'And I think I understand you
now that you do not intend to insist on the signature as being
genuine.'

'I say nothing about it, Mr Squercum. I think you'll find it very hard
to prove that it's not genuine.'

'My client's oath, Mr Bideawhile.'

'I'm afraid your client is not always very clear as to what he does.'

'I don't know what you mean by that, Mr Bideawhile. I fancy that if I
were to speak in that way of your client you would be very angry with
me. Besides, what does it all amount to? Will the old gentleman say
that he gave the letter into his son's hands, so that, even if such a
freak should have come into my client's head, he could have signed it
and sent it off? If I understand, Mr Longestaffe says that he locked
the letter up in a drawer in the very room which Melmotte occupied,
and that he afterwards found the drawer open. It won't, I suppose, be
alleged that my client knew so little what he was about that he broke
open the drawer in order that he might get at the letter. Look at it
whichever way you will, he did not sign it, Mr Bideawhile.'

'I have never said he did. All I say is that we had fair ground for