r, who, perhaps, had found his feelings too
little under his control to go through the interview with me that he
sought, Root set about making a miracle of the matter. It was
astounding--nay, superhuman! It boded some misfortune to him; and so it
really did, by the manner in which he treated it. I verily believe,
that had the servants or Mrs Root, who had seen the gentleman, averred
to a cloven foot as peeping out from his military surtout, he would have
given the assertion not only unlimited credence, but unlimited
circulation also. However, as it was, he made himself most egregiously
busy; there was his brother church-wardens and the curates summoned to
assist him in a court of inquiry; evidence was taken in form, and a sort
of _proces verbal_ drawn out and duly attested. Mr Root was a
miracle-monger, and gloried in being able to make himself the hero of
his own miracles.

Well, after he had solaced himself by going about to all his neighbours
with this surprising paper in hand, for about the space of a fortnight,
he thought to put the climax to his policy and his vainglory, by taking
it and himself up to the banker's in town, where he always got the full
amount of his bills for my board and education paid without either
examination or hesitation. The worthy money-changer looked grimly
polite at the long and wonderful account of the schoolmaster, received a
copy of the account of the mysterious visitor with most emphatic
silence, and then bowed the communicant out of his private room with all
imaginable etiquette.

Mr Root came home on excellent terms with himself; he imposed silence
upon his good lady, his attentive masters and ushers, and then wiping
the perspiration from his brow, proceeded to tell his admiring audience
of his great, his very great exertions, and how manfully through the
whole awful business he had done his duty. Alas! he soon found to his
cost that he had done something more. In cockney language, he had done
himself out of a good pupil. A fortnight after, I was again "wanted."
There was a glass coach at the door. A very reserved sort of gentleman
alighted, paid all demands up to the end of the ensuing half-year,
answered no questions, but merely producing a document, handed me and
all my worldly wealth into his vehicle, and off we drove.

To the best of my recollection, all the conversation that I heard from
this taciturn person, was that sentence, so much the more remarkable for
veri