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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