holes of his desk were emptied
out, and their contents thrown into the flames. At first he looked at
the papers before he burned them; but the trouble of doing so soon
tired him, and he condemned them all, as he came to them, without
examination. Then he selected a considerable amount of his clothes,
and packed up two portmanteaus, folding his coats with care, and
inspecting his boots narrowly, so that he might see which, out of
the large number before him, it might be best worth his while to
take with him. When that was done, he took from his desk a bag of
sovereigns, and, pouring them out upon the table, he counted them out
into parcels of twenty-five each, and made them up carefully into
rouleaus with paper. These, when complete, he divided among the two
portmanteaus and a dressing-bag which he also packed and a travelling
desk, which he filled with papers, pens, and the like. But he put
into it no written document. He carefully looked through his linen,
and anything that had been marked with more than his initials he
rejected. Then he took out a bundle of printed cards, and furnished a
card-case with them. On these cards was inscribed the name of Gregory
Vance. When all was finished, he stood for awhile with his back
to the fireplace contemplating his work. "After all," he said to
himself, "I know that I shall never start; and, if I do, nobody can
hinder me, and my own name would be as good as any other. As for a
man with such a face as mine not being known, that is out of the
question." But still he liked the arrangements which he had made, and
when he had looked at them for awhile he went to bed.

He was up early the next morning, and had some coffee brought to him
by the servant of the house, and as he drank it he had an interview
with his landlady. "He was going," he said;--"going that very day."
It might be possible that he would change his mind; but as he would
desire to start without delay, if he did go, he would pay her then
what he owed her, and what would be due for her lodgings under a
week's notice. The woman stared, and curtseyed, and took her money.
Vavasor, though he had lately been much pressed for money, had never
been so foolish as to owe debts where he lived. "There will be some
things left about, Mrs Bunsby," he said, "and I will get you to keep
them till I call or send." Mrs Bunsby said that she would, and then
looked her last at him. After that interview she never saw him again.

When he was