s death, or
afterwards, when the boy grew up, to turning him adrift, absolutely
helpless in the world. The fraud has been managed, ma'am, with the
cunning of Satan himself. Mr. Forley had the hold over the Barshams,
that they had helped him in his villany, and that they were dependent on
him for the bread they eat. He brought them up to London to keep them
securely under his own eye. He put them into this empty house (taking it
out of the agent's hands previously, on pretence that he meant to manage
the letting of it himself); and by keeping the house empty, made it the
surest of all hiding places for the child. Here, Mr. Forley could come,
whenever he pleased, to see that the poor lonely child was not absolutely
starved; sure that his visits would only appear like looking after his
own property. Here the child was to have been trained to believe himself
Barsham's child, till he should be old enough to be provided for in some
situation, as low and as poor as Mr. Forley's uneasy conscience would let
him pick out. He may have thought of atonement on his death-bed; but not
before--I am only too certain of it--not before!"

A low, double knock startled us.

"The messenger!" said Trottle, under his breath. He went out instantly
to answer the knock; and returned, leading in a respectable-looking
elderly man, dressed like Trottle, all in black, with a white cravat, but
otherwise not at all resembling him.

"I am afraid I have made some mistake," said the stranger.

Trottle, considerately taking the office of explanation into his own
hands, assured the gentleman that there was no mistake; mentioned to him
who I was; and asked him if he had not come on business connected with
the late Mr. Forley. Looking greatly astonished, the gentleman answered,
"Yes." There was an awkward moment of silence, after that. The stranger
seemed to be not only startled and amazed, but rather distrustful and
fearful of committing himself as well. Noticing this, I thought it best
to request Trottle to put an end to further embarrassment, by stating all
particulars truthfully, as he had stated them to me; and I begged the
gentleman to listen patiently for the late Mr. Forley's sake. He bowed
to me very respectfully, and said he was prepared to listen with the
greatest interest.

It was evident to me--and, I could see, to Trottle also--that we were not
dealing, to say the least, with a dishonest man.

"Before I offer any opinion on wh