Part 62 (1/2)

”Look at him, Bill,” said one youth to an acquaintance; ”he's escaped from Madame Tussaud's, he has Painted hisself over with Day & Martin's best, and bought a secondhand Guy Fawkes nose”

Just then his re been made to understand by the driver that they had arrived at their destination, descended froinal, that it is probably peculiar to the aborigines of Central Africa, and frightened that boy away

Fro veryrecovered her health and spirits, and being very neatly dressed in a grey frock, with a wide black hat trimmed with ostrich feathers, Juanna looked what she was, a very lovely wo an outer office Leonard asked if Messrs Thomson & Turner were to be seen

”Mr Turner is within, sir,” answered a clerk of venerable appearance

”Mr Tholance fell upon Otter and suddenly he froze up, then added with a jerk--”has been dead a hundred years! Thonity, but with his eyes still fixed on Otter, ”was the founder of this fire III That is his picture over the door--the person with a harelip and a snuffbox”

”Indeed!” said Leonard ”As Mr Thomson is not available, perhaps you will tell Mr Turner that a gentleman would like to speak to hi fixedly at Otter, whose aspect appeared to fascinate him as much as that worthy had been fascinated by the eyes of the Water-Dweller ”Have you an appointment, sir?”

”No,” answered Leonard ”Tell him that it is in reference to an advertiseo”

The clerk started, wondering if this could be the ht-for individual was understood to have resided in Africa, which is the home of dwarfs and other oddities Oncedoor

Presently he returned ”Mr Turner will see you, sir, if you and the lady will please to step in Does this--gentleman--wish to accompany you?”

”No,” said Leonard, ”he can stop here”

Thereupon the clerk handed Otter a tall stool, on which the dwarf perched hi door and ushered Leonard and his wife into Mr Turner's private roo?” said a bland, stout gentle from before a table streith papers ”Pray be seated, madam”

Leonard drew from his pocket a copy of the weekly ”Ti:

”I understand that you inserted this advertiselancing at it ”Do you bring me any news of Mr Leonard Outram?”

”Yes, I do I am he, and this lady is my wife”

The lawyer bowed politely ”This is iven up hope--but, of course, some proofs of identity will be required”

”I think that they can be furnished to your satisfaction,” answered Leonard briefly ”Meanwhile, for the sake of argument, perhaps you will assume that I am the person whom I state myself to be, and inform me to what this advertisement refers”

”Certainly,” answered the lawyer, ”there can be no harm in that Sir Thomas Outram, the late baronet, as you are doubtless aware, had two sons, Tho leet her maiden name, but perhaps you can inform me of it----”

”Do you happen to mean Miss Jane Beach?” said Leonard quietly

At this point Juanna turned in her chair and became extraordinarily, indeed almost fiercely, interested in the conversation

”Quite so; Beach was the naetfulness Well, Sir Thomas's affairs fell into confusion, and after their father's death Mr Leonard Outrarated to South Africa In that same year Miss Jane--eh--Beach married a client of ours, Mr Cohen, whose father had purchased the estate of Outram from the trustees in bankruptcy”

”Indeed!” said Leonard

”Shortly afterwards,” went on the lawyer, ”Mr Cohen, or rather Sir Jonas Cohen, succeeded to the estate on the death of his father Two years ago he died leaving all his property, real and personal, to his only child, a daughter named Jane, with reversion to hisin fee simple Within a month of his death the child Jane died also, and nine months later her rave”

”Yes,” said Leonard in a dull voice, and hiding his face in his hand; ”go on, sir”