th a
cold moisture.

"I hear, gents," said he, thickly; and he also heard a faint ringing in
his ears.

"It's not impossible, sir, in plain English," continued Mr. Quirk,
himself growing a little excited with the important communication which
trembled on the tip of his tongue, "that you may at no distant time (if
you really turn out to be the person we are in search of) be put into
possession of an estate of somewhere about Ten Thousand a-year"----

The words seemed to have struck Titmouse blind--as he saw nothing for
some moments; then everything appeared to be swimming around him, and he
felt a sort of faintness or sickness stealing over him. They had hardly
been prepared for their communication's affecting their little visitor
so powerfully. Mr. Snap hastened out, and in again, with a glass of
water; and the earnest attentions of the three soon restored Mr.
Titmouse to his senses. It was a good while, however, before he could
appreciate the little conversation which they now and then addressed to
him, or estimate the full importance of the astounding intelligence
which Mr. Quirk had just communicated, "Beg pardon--but may I make free
to ask for a little brandy and cold water, gents? I feel all over in a
kind of tremble," said he, some little time afterwards.

"Yes--by all means, Mr. Titmouse," replied Mr. Quirk--"Mr. Snap, will
you be kind enough to order Betty to bring in a glass of cold brandy and
water from the Jolly Thieves, next door?"--Snap shot out, gave the
order, and returned in a trice. The old woman in a few minutes' time
followed, with a large tumbler of dark brandy and water, quite hot, for
which Mr. Gammon apologized, but Mr. Titmouse said he preferred it
so--and soon addressed himself to the inspiriting mixture. It quickly
manifested its influence, reassuring him wonderfully. As he sat sipping
it, Messrs. Quirk, Gammon, and Snap being engaged in an earnest
conversation, of which he could not comprehend a word, he had leisure to
look about him, and observed that there was lying before them a large
sheet of paper, at which they all of them often and earnestly looked,
filled with marks, so--

[Illustration:
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with writing at the ends of each of them, and round and square figures.
Wh