ellowship, a fact that had prevented me from attending the
funeral or seeing the lawyer. At last, however, the examination was
over, and I came back to my rooms and sank into an easy chair with a
happy consciousness that I had got through it very fairly.

Soon, however, my thoughts, relieved of the pressure that had crushed
them into a single groove during the last few days, turned to the events
of the night of poor Vincey's death, and again I asked myself what it
all meant, and wondered if I should hear anything more of the matter,
and if I did not, what it would be my duty to do with the curious iron
chest. I sat there and thought and thought till I began to grow quite
disturbed over the whole occurrence: the mysterious midnight visit, the
prophecy of death so shortly to be fulfilled, the solemn oath that I had
taken, and which Vincey had called on me to answer to in another world
than this. Had the man committed suicide? It looked like it. And what
was the quest of which he spoke? The circumstances were uncanny, so
much so that, though I am by no means nervous, or apt to be alarmed
at anything that may seem to cross the bounds of the natural, I grew
afraid, and began to wish I had nothing to do with them. How much more
do I wish it now, over twenty years afterwards!

As I sat and thought, there came a knock at the door, and a letter, in a
big blue envelope, was brought in to me. I saw at a glance that it was
a lawyer's letter, and an instinct told me that it was connected with my
trust. The letter, which I still have, runs thus:--

"Sir,--Our client, the late M. L. Vincey, Esq., who died on the 9th
instant in ---- College, Cambridge, has left behind him a Will, of which
you will please find copy enclosed and of which we are the executors.
Under this Will you will perceive that you take a life-interest in about
half of the late Mr. Vincey's property, now invested in Consols, subject
to your acceptance of the guardianship of his only son, Leo Vincey, at
present an infant, aged five. Had we not ourselves drawn up the document
in question in obedience to Mr. Vincey's clear and precise instructions,
both personal and written, and had he not then assured us that he had
very good reasons for what he was doing, we are bound to tell you that
its provisions seem to us of so unusual a nature, that we should have
bound to call the attention of the Court of Chancery to them, in order
that such steps might be taken as seemed desi