About　1790　my　grandfather　made　a　considerable　fortune
  out　of　brewing；　and　retired。　In　1821　he　died；　and　my
  father　succeeded　him；　and　dissipated　most　of　the
  money。　Ten　years　ago　he　died　also；　leaving　me　a　net
  income　of　about　two　thousand　a　year。　Then　it　was　that
  I　undertook　an　expedition　in　connection　with　that；〃
  and　he　pointed　to　the　iron　chest；　〃which　ended
  disastrously　enough。　On　my　way　back　I　traveled　in　the
  South　of　Europe；　and　finally　reached　Athens。　There　I
  met　my　beloved　wife；　who　might　well　also　have　been
  called　the　'Beautiful'；　like　my　old　Greek　ancestor。
  There　I　married　her；　and　there；　a　year　afterwards；
  when　my　boy　was　born；　she　died。〃
  He　paused　awhile；　his　head　sank　upon　his　hand；　and
  then　continued；
  〃My　marriage　had　diverted　me　from　a　project　which　I
  cannot　enter　into　now。　I　have　no　time；　HollyI　have
  no　time！　One　day；　if　you　accept　my　trust；　you　will
  learn　all　about　it。　After　my　wife's　death　I　turned　my
  mind　to　it　again。　But　first　it　was　necessary；　or；　at
  least；　I　conceived　that　it　was　necessary；　that　I
  should　attain　to　a　perfect　knowledge　of　Eastern
  dialects；　especially　Arabic。　It　was　to　facilitate　my
  studies　that　I　came　here。　Very　soon；　however；　my
  disease　developed　itself；　and　now　there　is　an　end　of
  me。〃　And；　as　though　to　emphasize　his　words；　he　burst
  into　another　terrible　fit　of　coughing。
  I　gave　him　some　more　whiskey；　and　after　resting　he
  went　on；
  〃I　have　never　seen　my　boy；　Leo；　since　he　was　a　tiny
  baby。　I　never　could　bear　to　see　him；　but　they　tell　me
  that　he　is　a　quick　and　handsome　child。　In　this
  envelope；〃　and　he　produced　a　letter　from　his　pocket
  addressed　to　myself；　〃I　have　jotted　down　the　course　I
  wish　followed　in　the　boy's　education。　It　is　a　somewhat
  peculiar　one。　At　any　rate；　I　could　not　intrust　it　to　a
  stranger。　Once　more；　will　you　undertake　it？〃
  〃I　must　first　know　what　I　am　to　undertake；〃　I
  answered。
  〃You　are　to　undertake　to　have　the　boy；　Leo；　to　live
  with　you　till　he　is　twenty…five　years　of　agenot　to
  send　him　to　school；　remember。　On　his　twenty…fifth
  birthday　your　guardianship　will　end；　and　you　will
  then；　with　the　keys　that　I　give　you　now〃　（and　he
  placed　them　on　the　table）；　〃open　the　iron　box；　and　let
  him　see　and　read　the　contents；　and　say　whether　or　not
  he　is　willing　to　undertake　the　quest。　There　is　no
  obligation　on　him　to　do　so。　Now；　as　regards　terms。　My
  present　income　is　two　thousand　two　hundred　a　year。
  Half　of　that　income　I　have　secured　to　you　by　will　for
  life　contingently　on　your　undertaking　the
  guardianshipthat　is；　one　thousand　a　year
  remuneration　to　yourself；　for　you　will　have　to　give　up
  your　life　to　it；　and　one　hundred　a　year　to　pay　for　the
  board　of　the　boy。　The　rest　is　to　accumulate　till　Leo
  is　twenty…five；　so　that　there　may　be　a　sum　in　hand
  should　he　wish　to　undertake　the　quest　of　which　I
  spoke。〃
  〃And　suppose　I　were　to　die？〃　I　asked。
  〃Then　the　boy　must　become　a　ward　of　Chancery　and　take
  his　chance。　Only　be　careful　that　the　iron　chest　is
  passed　on　to　him　by　your　will。　Listen；　Holly；　don't
  refuse　me。　Believe　me；　this　is　to　your　advantage。　You
  are　not　fit　to　mix　with　the　worldit　would　only
  embitter　you。　In　a　few　weeks　you　will　become　a　Fellow
  of　your　College；　and　the　income　that　you　will　derive
  from　that　combined　with　what　I　have　left　you　will
  enable　you　to　live　a　life　of　learned　leisure；
  alternated　with　the　sport　of　which　you　are　so　fond；
  such　as　will　exactly　suit　you。〃
  He　paused　and　looked　at　me　anxiously；　but　I　still
  hesitated。　The　charge　seemed　so　very　strange。
  〃For　my　sake；　Holly。　We　have　been　good　friends；　and　I
  have　no　time　to　make　other　arrangements。〃
  〃Very　well；〃　I　said；　〃I　will　do　it；　provided　there　is
  nothing　in　this　paper　to　make　me　change　my　mind；〃　and
  I　touched　the　envelope　he　had　put　upon　the　table　by
  the　keys。
  〃Thank　you；　Holly；　thank　you。　There　is　nothing　at　all。
  Swear　to　me　by　God　that　you　will　be　a　father　to　the
  boy；　and　follow　my　directions　to　the　letter。〃
  〃I　swear　it；〃　I　answered；　solemnly。
  〃Very　well；　remember　that　perhaps　one　day　I　shall　ask
  for　the　account　of　your　oath；　for　though　I　am　dead　and
  forgotten；　yet　shall　I　live。　There　is　no　such　thing　as
  death；　Holly；　only　a　change；　and；　as　you　may　perhaps
  learn　in　time　to　come；　I　believe　that　even　here　that
  change　could　under　certain　circumstances　be
  indefinitely　postponed；〃　and　again　he　broke　into　one
  of　his　dreadful　fits　of　coughing。
  〃There；〃　he　said；　〃I　must　go；　you　have　the　chest；　and
  my　will　will　be　found　among　my　papers；　under　the
  authority　of　which　the　child　will　be　handed　over　to
  you。　You　will　be　well　paid；　Holly；　and　I　know　that　you
  are　honest；　but　if　you　betray　my　trust；　by　Heaven；　I
  will　haunt　you！〃
  I　said　nothing；　being；　indeed；　too　bewildered　to
  speak。
  He　held　up　the　candle；　and　looked　at　his　own　face　in
  the　glass；　It　had　been　a　beautiful　face；　but　disease
  had　wrecked　it。　〃Food　for　the　worms；〃　he　said。
  〃Curious　to　think　that　in　a　few　hours　I　shall　be　stiff
  and　coldthe　journey　done；　the　little　game　played
  out。　Ah　me；　Holly！　life　is　not　worth　the　trouble　of
  life；　except　when　one　is　in　loveat　least；　mine　has
  not　been；　but　the　boy　Leo's　may　be　if　he　has　the
  courage　and　the　faith。　Good…bye；　my　friend！〃　and　with
  a　sudden　excess　of　tenderness　he　flung　his　arm　about
  me　and　kissed　me　on　the　forehead；　and　then　turned　to
  go：
  〃Look　here；　Vincey；〃　I　said；　〃if　you　are　as　ill　as　you
  think；　you　had　better　let　me　fetch　a　doctor。〃
  〃No；　no；〃　he　said；　earnestly。　〃Promise　me　that　you
  won't。　I　am　going　to　die；　and；　like　a　poisoned　rat；　I
  wish　to　die　alone。〃
  〃I　don't　believe　that　you　are　going　to　do　anything　of
  the　sort；〃　I　answered。　He　smiled；　and；　with　the　word
  〃Remember〃　on　his　lips；　was　gone。　As　for　myself；　I　sat
  down　and　rubbed　my　eyes；　wondering　if　I　had　been
  asleep。　As　this　supposition　would　not　bear
  investigation；　I　gave　it　up；　and　began　to　think　that
  Vincey　must　have　been　drinking。　I　knew　that　he　was；
  and　had　been；　very　ill；　but　still　it　seemed　impossible
  that　he　could　be　in　such　a　condition　as　to　be　able　to
  know　for　certain　that　he　would　not　outlive　the　night。
  Had　he　been　so　near　dissolution　surely　he　would
  scarcely　have　been　able　to　walk；　and　carry　a　heavy
  iron　box　with　him。　The　whole　story；　on　reflection；
  seemed　to　me　utterly　incredible；　for　I　was　not　then
  old　enough　to　be　aware　how　many　things　happen　in　this
  world　that　the　commonsense　of　the　average　man　would
  set　down　as　so　improbable　as　to　be　absolutely
  impossible。　This　is　a　fact　that　I　have　only　recently
  mastered。　Was　it　likely　that　a　man　would　have　a　son
  five　years　of　age　whom　he　had　never　seen　since　he　was
  a　tiny　infant？　No。　Was　it　likely　that　he　could
  foretell　his　own　death　so　accurately？　No。　Was　it
  likely　that　he　could　trace　his　pedigree　for　more　than
  three　centuries　before　Christ　or　that　he　would
  suddenly　confide　the　absolute　guardianship　of　his
  child；　and　leave　half　his　fortune；　to　a　college
  friend？　Most　certainly　not。　Clearly　Vincey　was　either
  drunk　or　mad。　That　being　so；　what　did　it　mean？　and
  what　was　in　the　sealed　iron　chest？
  The　whole　thing　baffled　and　puzzled　me　to　such　an
  extent　that　at　last　I　could　stand　it　no　longer；　and
  determined　to　sleep　over　it；　So　I　jumped　up；　and
  having　put　the　keys　and　the　letter　that　Vincey　had
  left　away　into　my　despatch…box；　and　stowed　the　iron
  chest　in　a　large　portmanteau；　I　turned　in；　and　was
  soon　fast　asleep。
  As　it　seemed　to　me；　I　had　only　been　asleep　for　a　few
  minutes　when　I　was　awakened　by　somebody　calling　me。　I
  sat　up　and　rubbed　my　eyes；　it　was　broad　daylight
  eight　o'clock；　in　fact。
  〃Why；　what　is　the　matter　with　you；　John？〃　I　asked　of
  the　gyp　who　waited　on　Vincey　and　myself。　〃You　look　as
  though　you　had　seen　a　ghost！〃'
  〃Yes；　sir；　and　so　I　have；〃　he　answered；　〃leastways
  I've　seen　a　corpse；　which　is　worse。　I've　been　in　to
  call　Mr。　Vincey；　as　usual；　and　there　he　lies　stark　and
  dead！〃
  CHAPTER　II
  THE　YEARS　ROLL　BY
  OF　course；　poor　Vincey's　sudden　death　created　a　great
  stir　in　the　college；　but；　as　he　was　known　to　be　very
  ill；　and　a　satisfactory　doctor's　certificate　was
  forthcoming；　there　was　no　inquest。　They　were　not　so
  particular　about　inquests　in　those　days　as　they　are
  now；　indeed；　they　were　generally　disliked；　as　causing
  a　scandal。　Under　all　these　circumstances；　as　I　was
  asked　no　questions；　I　did　not　feel　called　upon　to
  volunteer　any　information　about　our　interview　of　the
  night　of　Vincey's　decease；　beyond　saying　that　he　had
  come　into　my　rooms　to　see　me；　as　he　often　did。　On　the
  day　of　the　funeral　a　lawyer　came　down　from　London　and
  followed　my　poor　friend's　remains　to　the　grave；　and
  then　went　back　with　his　papers　and　effects；　except；　of
  course；　the　iron　chest　which　had　been　left　in　my
  keeping。　For　a　week　after　this　I　heard　no　more　of　the
  matter；　and；　indeed；　my　attention　was　amply　occupied
  in　other　ways；　for　I　was　up　for　my　Fellowship；　a　fact
  that　had　prevented　me　from　attending　the　funeral　or
  seeing　the　lawyer。　At　last；　however；　the　examination
  was　over；　and　I　came　back　to　my　rooms　and　sank　into　an
  easy…chair　with　a　happy　consciousness　that　I　had　got