was　over；　and　I　came　back　to　my　rooms　and　sank　into　an
  easy…chair　with　a　happy　consciousness　that　I　had　got
  through　it　very　fairly。
  Soon；　however；　my　thoughts；　relieved　of　the　pressure
  that　had　crushed　them　into　a　single　groove　during　the
  last　few　days；　turned　to　the　events　of　the　night　of
  poor　Vincey's　death；　and　again　I　asked　myself　what　it
  all　meant；　and　wondered　if　I　should　hear　anything　more
  of　the　matter；　and　if　I　did　not；　what　it　would　be　my
  duty　to　do　with　the　curious　iron　chest。　I　sat　there
  and　thought　and　thought　till　I　began　to　grow　quite
  disturbed　over　the　whole　occurrence：　the　mysterious
  midnight　visit；　the　prophecy　of　death　so　shortly　to　be
  fulfilled；　the　solemn　oath　that　I　had　taken；　and　which
  Vincey　had　called　on　me　to　answer　to　in　another　world
  than　this。　Had　the　man　committed　suicide？　It　looked
  like　it。　And　what　was　the　quest　of　which　he　spoke？　The
  circumstances　were　almost　uncanny；　so　much　so　that；
  though　I　am　by　no　means　nervous；　or　apt　to　be　alarmed
  at　anything　that　may　seem　to　cross　the　bounds　of　the
  natural；　I　grew　afraid；　and　began　to　wish　I　had　had
  nothing　to　do　with　it。　How　much　more　do　I　wish　it　now；
  over　twenty　years　afterwards！
  As　I　sat　and　thought；　there　was　a　knock　at　the　door；
  and　a　letter；　in　a　big　blue　envelope；　was　brought　in
  to　me。　I　saw　at　a　glance　that　it　was　a　lawyer's
  letter；　and　an　instinct　told　me　that　it　was　connected
  with　my　trust。　The　letter；　which；　I　still　have；　runs
  thus：
  〃Sir；Our　client；　the　late　M。　L。　Vincey；　Esq。；　who
  died　on　the　9th　instant　in　…　College；　Cambridge；　has
  left　behind　him　a　will；　of　which　you　will　please　find
  copy　enclosed；　and　of　which　we　are　the　executors。　By
  this　will　you　will　perceive　that　you　take　a　life…
  interest　in　about　half　of　the　late　Mr。　Vincey's
  property；　now　invested　in　consols；　subject　to　your
  acceptance　of　the　guardianship　of　his　only　son；　Leo
  Vincey；　at　present　an　infant；　aged　five。　Had　we　not
  ourselves　drawn　up　the　document　in　question　in
  obedience　to　Mr。　Vincey's　clear　and　precise
  instructions；　both　personal　and　written；　and　had　he
  not　then　assured　us　that　he　had　very　good　reasons　for
  what　he　was　doing；　we　are　bound　to　tell　you　that　its
  provisions　seem　to　us　of　so　unusual　a　nature　that　we
  should　have　felt　bound　to　call　the　attention　of　the
  Court　of　Chancery　to　them；　in　order　that　such　steps
  might　be　taken　as　seemed　desirable　to　it；　either　by
  contesting　the　capacity　of　the　testator　or　otherwise；
  to　safeguard　the　interests　of　the　infant。　As　it　is；
  knowing　that　the　testator　was　a　gentleman　of　the
  highest　intelligence　and　acumen；　and　that　he　has
  absolutely　no　relations　living　to　whom　he　could　have
  confided　the　guardianship　of　the　child；　we　do　not　feel
  justified　in　taking　this　course。
  〃Awaiting　such　instructions　as　you　please　to　send　us
  as　regards　the　delivery　of　the　infant　and　the　payment
  of　the　proportion　of　the　dividends　due　to　you；
  〃We　remain；　sir；　faithfully　yours；
  〃GEOFFREY　&　JORDAN。〃
  I　put　down　the　letter；　and　ran　my　eye　through　the
  will；　which　appeared；　from　its　utter
  unintelligibility；　to　have　been　drawn　on　the　strictest
  legal　principles。　So　far　as　I　could　discover；　however；
  it　exactly　bore　out　what　my　friend　had　told　me　on　the
  night　of　his　death。　So　it　was　true　after　all。　I　must
  take　the　boy。　Suddenly　I　remembered　the　letter　which
  he　had　left　with　the　chest。　I　fetched　it　and　opened
  it。　It　only　contained　such　directions　as　he　had
  already　given　to　me　as　to　opening　the　chest　on　Leo's
  twenty…fifth　birthday；　and　laid　down　the　outlines　of
  the　boy's　education；　which　was　to　include　Greek；　the
  higher　mathematics；　and　Arabic。　At　the　bottom　there
  was　a　postscript　to　the　effect　that　if　the　boy　died
  under　the　age　of　twenty…five；　which；　however；　he　did
  not　believe　would　be　the　case；　I　was　to　open　the
  chest；　and　act　on　the　information　I　obtained　if　I　saw
  fit。　If　I　did　not　see　fit；　I　was　to　destroy　all　the
  contents。　On　no　account　pass　them　on　to　a　stranger。
  As　this　letter　added　nothing　material　to　my　knowledge；
  and　certainly　raised　no　further　objection　in　my　mind
  to　undertaking　the　task　I　had　promised　my　dead　friend
  to　undertake；　there　was　only　one　course　open　to　me
  namely；　to　write　to　Messrs。　Geoffrey　&　Jordan；　and
  express　my　readiness　to　enter　on　the　trust；　stating
  that　I　should　be　willing　to　commence　my　guardianship
  of　Leo　in　ten　days'　time。　This　done　I　proceeded　to　the
  authorities　of　my　college；　and；　having　told　them　as
  much　of　the　story　as　I　considered　desirable；　which　was
  not　very　much；　after　considerable　difficulty　succeeded
  in　persuading　them　to　stretch　a　point；　and；　in　the
  event　of　my　having　obtained　a　fellowship；　which　I　was
  pretty　certain　I　had　done；　allow　me　to　have　the　child
  to　live　with　me。　Their　consent；　however；　was　only
  granted　on　the　condition　that　I　vacated　my　rooms　in
  college　and　took　lodgings。　This　I　did；　and　with　some
  difficulty　succeeded　in　obtaining　very　good　apartments
  quite　close　to　the　college　gates。　The　next　thing　was
  to　find　a　nurse。　And　on　this　point　I　came　to　a
  determination。　I　would　have　no　woman　to　lord　it　over
  me　about　the　child；　and　steal　his　affections　from　me。
  The　boy　was　old　enough　to　do　without　female
  assistance；　so　I　set　to　work　to　hunt　up　a　suitable
  male　attendant。　With　some　difficulty　I　succeeded　in
  hiring　a　most　respectable　round…faced　young　man；　who
  had　been　a　helper　in　a　hunting…stable；　but　who　said
  that　he　was　one　of　a　family　of　seventeen　and　well
  accustomed　to　the　ways　of　children；　and　professed
  himself　quite　willing　to　undertake　the　charge　of
  Master　Leo　when　he　arrived。　Then；　having　taken　the
  iron　box　to　town；　and　with　my　own　hands　deposited　it
  at　my　banker's；　I　bought　some　books　upon　the　health
  and　management　of　children；　and　read　them；　first　to
  myself；　and　then　aloud　to　Jobthat　was　the　young
  man's　nameand　waited。
  At　length　the　child　arrived　in　the　charge　of　an
  elderly　person；　who　wept　bitterly　at　parting　with　him；
  and　a　beautiful　boy　he　was。　Indeed；　I　do　not　think
  that　I　ever　saw　such　a　perfect　child　before　or　since。
  His　eyes　were　gray；　his　forehead　broad；　and　his　face；
  even　at　that　early　age；　clean　cut　as　a　cameo；　without
  being　pinched　or　thin。　But　perhaps　his　most　attractive
  point　was　his　hair；　which　was　pure　gold　in　color　and
  tightly　curled　over　his　shapely　head。　He　cried　a
  little　when　his　nurse　finally　tore　herself　away　and
  left　him　with　us。　Never　shall　I　forget　the　scene。
  There　he　stood；　with　the　sunlight　from　the　window
  playing　upon　his　golden　curls；　his　fist　screwed　in　one
  eye；　while　he　took　us　in　with　the　other。　I　was　seated
  in　a　chair；　and　stretched　out　my　hand　to　him　to　induce
  him　to　come　to　me；　while　Job；　in　the　corner；　was
  making　a　sort　of　clucking　noise；　which；　arguing　from
  his　previous　experience；　or　from　the　analogy　of　the
  hen；　he　judged　would　have　a　soothing　effect；　and
  inspire　confidence　in　the　youthful　mind；　and　running　a
  wooden　horse　of　peculiar　hideousness　backward　and
  forward　in　a　way　that　was　little　short　of　inane。　This
  went　on　for　some　minutes；　and　then　all　of　a　sudden　the
  lad　stretched　out　both　his　little　arms　and　ran　to　me。
  〃I　like　you；〃　he　said；　〃you　is　ugly；　but　you　is　good。〃
  Ten　minutes　afterwards　he　was　eating　large　slices　of
  bread…and…butter；　with　every　sign　of　satisfaction；　Job
  wanted　to　put　jam　on　to　them；　but　I　sternly　reminded
  him　of　the　excellent　works　we　had　read；　and　forbade
  it。
  In　a　very　little　while　（for；　as　I　expected；　I　got　my
  fellowship）　the　boy　became　the　favorite　of　the　whole
  collegewhere；　all　orders　and　regulations　to　the
  contrary　notwithstanding；　he　was　continually　in　and
  outa　sort　of　chartered　libertine；　in　whose　favor　all
  rules　were　relaxed。　The　offerings　made　at　his　shrine
  were　simply　without　number；　and　I　had　a　serious
  difference　of　opinion　with　one　old　resident　Fellow；
  now　long　dead；　who　was　usually　supposed　to　be　the
  crustiest　man　in　the　university；　and　to　abhor　the
  sight　of　a　child。　And　yet　I　discovered；　when　a
  frequently　recurring　fit　of　sickness　had　forced　Job　to
  keep　a　strict　lookout；　that　this　unprincipled　old　man
  was　in　the　habit　of　enticing　the　boy　to　his　rooms　and
  there　feeding　him　upon　unlimited　quantities　of　brandy…
  balls；　and　making　him　promise　to　say　nothing　about　it。
  Job　told　him　that　he　ought　to　be　ashamed　of　himself；
  〃at　his　age；　too；　when　he　might　have　been　a
  grandfather　if　he　had　done　what　was　right；〃　by　which
  Job　understood　had　got　married；　and　thence　arose　the
  row。
  But　I　have　no　space　to　dwell　upon　those　delightful
  years；　around　which　memory　still　fondly　hovers。　One　by
  one　they　went　by；　and　as　they　passed　we　two　grew
  dearer　and　yet　more　dear　to　each　other。　Few　sons　have
  been　loved　as　I　love　Leo；　and　few　fathers　know　the
  deep　and　continuous　affection　that　Leo　bears　to　me。
  The　child　grew　into　the　boy；　and　the　boy　into　the
  young　man；　as　one　by　one　the　remorseless　years　flew
  by；　and　as　he　grew　and　increased；　so　did　his　beauty
  and　the　beauty　of　his　mind　grow　with　him。　When　he　was
  about　fifteen　they　used　to　call　him　Beauty　about　the
  college；　and　me　they　nicknamed　the　Beast。　Beauty　and
  the　Beast　wa