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‘appointingly light‘2”
496 ‘ 4
“ lVhat question?” said Venus. ' V ' 1
"“ The question,” returned ‘Vegg, with a sort of joyful
afiability, '“ why I didn't mention sooner, thatVVI had
found something. Says your speaking countenance to
me : ‘lVhy didn’t youcommunicate that, when I first
come in this evening? VVliy did you keep it back'till
you thought Mr. Botiin had come to look for the arti-
cle ? ’ Yoiirispeaking countenance,”%said ‘Vegg, “ puts
[it plainer than language. I Now, you can’t read in my
face what answer I give ? ’,’ ' - ' ‘ ’ ' "
“No,'I ean’t,” said Venus. ‘ “ : ‘ ‘ ‘
“I ‘knew it! And why not?" returned VVegg, with
the same joyful candour. “ Because I lay no claims to a
speaking countenance. Because I am well aware of my
deficiencies.‘ -All men are not gifted alike. But I can an-
swer in words. And in what words? These. ' I wanted
to give you a delightful sap-pur-,-IZE l” V .
- "Having thus elongated and emphasized the word Sur-
prise, Mr. VVegg shook his friendand brother by both
-hands,"and then clapped’hiin"on both knees‘, like‘an -
affectionate patronlwho entreated him' not to mention
so small a gserviceias that which it had been his happy
privilege to render. ‘ ' 3 ‘ ‘ ‘ V ' V‘
’“Your speakiag'countenance,’f said Wegg, “being
answered to its satisfaction, only asks then, ‘.lVhat have
‘you found ‘I’ lVhy, I hear it sayvthe words 1-” ‘ - '
‘V’ “ VVel1 I ” rctorted Venus snappislily,‘ after waiting in
vain. “ If you hear it say the words, why 'don’t you an-
sWerit‘Z” ‘v ". ‘ I‘.
"‘ Hear me out I” said VVegg. ‘ “ I'm a-going to." Hear
me out ! Man and brother, partner in feelings equally
with undertakings and actions, I have found a cash-
boxlll ’ .
“ VVhere?” V ‘ ‘ “ '
“-Hear me out I” said lVegg., (He tried to reserve
whatever he could,‘ and, whenever disclosure was forced
upon him, broke" into a rad'ant gush of Hear me out.)
“On a cei'tain’da)’Jsir-'-”’ ' ." ' Vi ’
'V “ VVhcn?” said Venus bluntly. ’ ‘ V I ' TV
“,N-no,” returned lVegg, shaking his head at once
observantly, thoughtfully, and playfully. ‘ “No,.‘sirl
That’s not your expressive‘ countenance which asks that
question.’ -That’s your voice; merely your voice.‘ To
proceed. On a certain day,'sir, I happened tobe walk-
ing'in the yard-taking my lonely roundefor in the
words of a friend of my own family, the author of All’s
WVell arranged asaduett: “ ' ’ ' V’
‘ Deserted, as you will remember Mr. Venus, by the waning moon,
, When stars, it will occur to you before Iylmention it,‘ proclaim
' mght’s clieerless noon, ' . ‘ '1 ; ..
- On tower, fort. or tented round, - ’
The sentry walks his lonely round,
, The sentry ivalkst‘; .- ‘ . V ‘
-under those circumstances, sir, I happened to be walk-
ing in‘the yard early "one afternoon, and happened to
‘have an‘ iron rod in my hand, with which I’have been
sometimes accustomed to ' beguile the monotony of a lit.
crary life,’ when I‘ struck it against an object not neces-
sary to trouble you by naming-” V
“ It is necessary.’ What object?” demanded "enus
.. I . . r r , , ' I , I
in awlrlathful tone. . ,
f‘- ear me out I ” said ‘Ve . “ Th P .. ‘
I struck it against the Pump, agirgl found,“i)iotuonril)y tli‘a‘t1tlleiI<:
top was loose and opened with a lid, but that something
in it rattled.‘ That something,‘ comrade, I discovered to
be asmall flat oblong cash-box. Shall I say it was dis’-
“ There were papers in it,” said Venus. I V V
‘ “ There your expressive countenance speaks indeed ! ”
cried VVegg. V“ A paper, The box was locked," tied up,
and sealed, and on the outside was a parchment label,
-with the writing, ‘MY wIi.L,’.1oIrN' IIARMON, -mm‘-0.
IIARILY DEPOSITED HERE.’ ” j .
“ “'0 must know its contents,” said Venus. ' ‘ ’
b “I-Eleni; me out;:" cried Wegg.‘ “I‘said so,’ and‘I
ro (0 e ox open. I ' ' . .-
“ VVithout coming to me 1" exclaimed Venus. ' ‘ '
“ Exactly so, sir I " returned VVegg, blandly and buoy-
antly. “I see I take you with ‘mel Hear, hear, hearl
Resolved, as your discriminating good sense prcceives,
that if you was to have a sap-pur-IZE, it shouldVbo'a
complete one I VVcll, sir, and so as you have honoured me
OHARLES tDIO'KpENS’. -WORKS.
by anticipating,’ I examined the V document. Vllegulzirly
executed,‘regularlywitnessed, very short.. Inasmuch as
he hasnever made friends, and has ever had arcbellious
family, he, John Harmon, gives to Nicodemus Bothn the
Little Mound, which is quite enough for him, and gives
the whole rest and residue of his property to the Crown.”
V‘ “The date of- the will that has been proved, must he
looked to,” remarked Venus. V. V.“ It may be later than this
one!) . , . ,, .k . ., . ..,‘ ,: . .
. “ --Hear me out i”. cried “’egg. “I said so. I paid a
shillin (never mind your sixpence of it) to lookup that
will. “ rother, that will is dated months before this will.
And now, as a fellow-man,‘ and as a partner in a friendly
move,’.’ added .VVegg, benignantly taking him by both
hands again, and clapping him on both knees again, “say
have I completed my labour of love to your perfect satis-
faction, and are you Sap--put-IZED?" ‘V ' ‘ ’
Mr. Venus contemplated his fellow-man and partner
with doubting eyes, and then rejoined stiflly :
“This is gr’eatVnews‘indeed, Mr. VVegg. V There’s no
denying it. “But I could have wished you had told it me
before you got" your fright.to-night, and I could have
wished you had ever asked me as your partner what We
were to do ,beforeVyo‘u. thought’ yoi1“wero dividinga re-
sponsibility.”' I ‘ ‘ ' ' A V ’ V
- “,--Hear me out I” cried VVegg. ‘.‘I knew you Was
a-going to say so.‘ -But alone -I-bore the Vanriiety, and
alone ’l1 bear the blame 1” This with an-air of great
magnanimity. ‘ ' V I ‘ V- ‘ V '
‘ . “ Now,” said ‘Venus; Let’s see this will and this box.”
7 “‘ Do I understand, brother,” returned “'cgg with con-
siderable’ reluctance,“ that it is your wish to see this will
andthis-7” V V V . .
Mr. Venus smote the table with his hand.
“ Hear me out I” said VVegg.-2 “ Hear me out l I’1lg0
and fetch ’em.” . T V
After being some time absent, as if in his covetousness
he couldliardly make up his mind to produce the treas-
ure to his partner,Vhe returned with an old leathern hat-
box, into which he had‘ put the other box," for the better
preservation of commonplace appearances, and for the
disarming of suspicion. . " But I don’t half like opellmg
it here,” said Silas in a low voice, looking around‘: “he
might come -back’, he rnaynnot be gone ; we'don’t know
what he may beup to after what wc’ve seen.”
" “There’s something in that,” assented Venus.‘ ‘,‘ C0111“
tomyplace.” . V ‘ V V‘ ‘ V ’
‘ ‘Jealous of the custody of the box, and yet fearful (ff
opening it under the existing circumstances, Wcgg 1lf51'
tated: ‘..‘ Come, I tell you,” repeated Venus chafing, ‘ t0
my place.” ‘ Not very well seeing his way to a refusal,
Mr. VVegg then rejoined in a gush,“ Hear me out l-CH‘
tain1y.”. So he locked up the Bower and they set f01lh‘
Mr. Venus taking his arm, and keeping it with remark-
able tenxicity. ‘ . “ - - - ‘
They found the usual dim light burning in the “?11d0“'
of Mr. Venus’s establishment, imperfectly disclosing F0
the public.the usual pair of preserved frogs, sword In
hand, with their point of honour still. unsettled." M’-
Venns had closed‘ the shop door on coming out and 110".
opened it with the key and shut it again assoon as $119.‘
were within ; but not before he hadiput up and barred
the shutters of theshop window. ' ‘f No one can $9‘ 1,“
without being let in,” said he then, “ and we Collldn‘
bemore snugthari here.” ; So he raked together the fol
warm, cindcrs in the rusty grate, and made a fire. 3”‘
trimincd'tlie'candle‘ on thelittle counter. ‘As the til‘? C35‘
its flickering gleams here and there upon the dark‘ gref15Y
walls; the Hindoo baby, the African baby, the articu-
lated English baby, Vtlieassortment of skulls, and ‘the
rest of the collection, came startingto their various stni
tions as if they had all been out, like their master, 3”‘
were punctual in a general rmdezvous to'assist at ‘hf
secret. ' The French gentleman had grown considerabl.‘
since Mr. ‘Vegg last‘ saw him, being now accommodate
witha pair of legs and ahead, though his arms W6"? Yet,
in abeyance. To whomsoever the head had origin111]Y
belonged, Silas ’VVegg' would have ‘regarded it as 1? Per‘
sonal favour if he had not out quite so many teeth. -
’ ‘Silas took his eeatin silence on the wooden boxbeforc
the fire, and Venus droppin into his low chair produC
from. among his skeleton ands, his tea-trayanil W3‘
,7,.-..s--.-..