Mr. Dawson hospitably invited me to go back with him to Oak Lodge, and take up my quarters there for the night.  I could only reply that my time was not my own, and I could only ask him to let me pay my visit in a few days, when I might repeat my thanks, and offer to him all the explanations which I felt to be only his due, but which I was not then in a position to make.  We parted with friendly assurances on both sides, and I turned my steps at once to Mr. Wansborough’s office in the High Street.

Time was now of the last importance.

The news of my being free on bail would reach Sir Percival, to an absolute certainty, before night.  If the next few hours did not put me in a position to justify his worst fears, and to hold him helpless at my mercy, I might lose every inch of the ground I had gained, never to recover it again.  The unscrupulous nature of the man, the local influence he possessed, the desperate peril of exposure with which my blindfold inquiries threatened him—­all warned me to press on to positive discovery, without the useless waste of a single minute.  I had found time to think while I was waiting for Mr. Dawson’s arrival, and I had well employed it.  Certain portions of the conversation of the talkative old clerk, which had wearied me at the time, now recurred to my memory with a new significance, and a suspicion crossed my mind darkly which had not occurred to me while I was in the vestry.  On my way to Knowlesbury, I had only proposed to apply to Mr. Wansborough for information on the subject of Sir Percival’s mother.  My object now was to examine the duplicate register of Old Welmingham Church.

Mr. Wansborough was in his office when I inquired for him.

He was a jovial, red-faced, easy-looking man—­more like a country squire than a lawyer—­and he seemed to be both surprised and amused by my application.  He had heard of his father’s copy of the register, but had not even seen it himself.  It had never been inquired after, and it was no doubt in the strong room among other papers that had not been disturbed since his father’s death.  It was a pity (Mr. Wansborough said) that the old gentleman was not alive to hear his precious copy asked for at last.  He would have ridden his favourite hobby harder than ever now.  How had I come to hear of the copy? was it through anybody in the town?

I parried the question as well as I could.  It was impossible at this stage of the investigation to be too cautious, and it was just as well not to let Mr. Wansborough know prematurely that I had already examined the original register.  I described myself, therefore, as pursuing a family inquiry, to the object of which every possible saving of time was of great importance.  I was anxious to send certain particulars to London by that day’s post, and one look at the duplicate register (paying, of course, the necessary fees) might supply what I required, and save me a further journey to Old Welmingham.  I added that, in the event of my subsequently requiring a copy of the original register, I should make application to Mr. Wansborough’s office to furnish me with the document.