d the lock, and stole the letter,' said Dolly.
'It's as plain as a pikestaff. It's clear enough to hang any man.'

'I am afraid that it falls short of evidence, however strong and just
may be the suspicion induced,' said the lawyer. 'Your father for a
time was not quite certain about the letter.'

'He thought that I had signed it,' said Dolly.

'I am quite certain now,' rejoined the father angrily. 'A man has to
collect his memory before he can be sure of anything.'

'I am thinking you know how it would go to a jury.'

'What I want to know is how are we to get the money,' said Dolly. 'I
should like to see him hung of,--course; but I'd sooner have the money.
Squercum says--'

'Adolphus, we don't want to know here what Mr Squercum says.'

'I don't know why what Mr Squercum says shouldn't be as good as what
Mr Bideawhile says. Of course Squercum doesn't sound very
aristocratic.'

'Quite as much so as Bideawhile, no doubt,' said the lawyer laughing.

'No; Squercum isn't aristocratic, and Fetter Lane is a good deal lower
than Lincoln's Inn. Nevertheless Squercum may know what he's about. It
was Squercum who was first down upon Melmotte in this matter, and if
it wasn't for Squercum we shouldn't know as much about it as we do at
present.' Squercum's name was odious to the elder Longestaffe. He
believed, probably without much reason, that all his family troubles
came to him from Squercum, thinking that if his son would have left
his affairs in the hands of the old Slows and the old Bideawhiles,
money would never have been scarce with him, and that he would not
have made this terrible blunder about the Pickering property. And the
sound of Squercum, as his son knew, was horrid to his ears. He hummed
and hawed, and fumed and fretted about the room, shaking his head and
frowning. His son looked at him as though quite astonished at his
displeasure. 'There's nothing more to be done here, sir, I suppose,'
said Dolly putting on his hat.

'Nothing more,' said Mr Bideawhile. 'It may be that I shall have to
instruct counsel, and I thought it well that I should see in the
presence of both of you exactly how the thing stood. You speak so
positively, Mr Longestaffe, that there can be no doubt?'

'There is no doubt.'

'And now perhaps you had better lock the drawer in our presence. Stop
a moment--I might as well see whether there is any sign of violence
having been used.' So saying Mr Bideawhile knelt down in front of the
table