ruby's pocket, he should have held his tongue. But Mr Tombe's name
escaped from him, and Vavasor immediately questioned him. Scruby, who
did not often make such blunders, readily excused himself, shaking
his head, and declaring that the name had fallen from his lips
instead of that of another man. Vavasor accepted the excuse without
further notice, and nothing more was said about Mr Tombe while he
was in Mr Scruby's office. But he had not heard the name in vain,
and had unfortunately heard it before. Mr Tombe was a remarkable
man in his way. He wore powder to his hair,--was very polite in his
bearing,--was somewhat asthmatic, and wheezed in his talking,--and
was, moreover, the most obedient of men, though it was said of him
that he managed the whole income of the Ely Chapter just as he
pleased. Being in these ways a man of note, John Grey had spoken of
him to Alice, and his name had filtered through Alice and her cousin
Kate to George Vavasor. George seldom forgot things or names, and
when he heard Mr Tombe's name mentioned in connection with his own
money matters, he remembered that Mr Tombe was John Grey's lawyer.

As soon as he could escape out into the street he endeavoured to put
all these things together, and after a while resolved that he would
go to Mr Tombe. What if there should be an understanding between John
Grey and Alice, and Mr Tombe should be arranging his money matters
for him! Would not anything be better than this,--even that little
tragedy down in Westmoreland, for which his ingenuity and courage
would be required? He could endure to borrow money from Alice. He
might even endure it still,--though that was very difficult after
her treatment of him; but he could not endure to be the recipient of
John Grey's money. By heavens, no! And as he got into a cab, and had
himself driven off to the neighbourhood of Doctors' Commons, he gave
himself credit for much fine manly feeling. Mr Tombe's chambers were
found without difficulty, and, as it happened, Mr Tombe was there.

The lawyer rose from his chair as Vavasor entered, and bowed his
powdered head very meekly as he asked his visitor to sit down. "Mr
Vavasor;--oh, yes. He had heard the name. Yes; he was in the habit of
acting for his very old friend Mr John Grey. He had acted for Mr John
Grey, and for Mr John Grey's father,--he or his partner,--he believed
he might say, for about half a century. There could not be a nicer
gentleman than Mr John Grey;--and s