"I give up nothing and I assert nothing," said the superior attorney. "Whether the letter be genuine or not we had no reason to believe it to be otherwise. The young gentleman's signature is never very plain, and this one is about as like any other as that other would be like the last."
"Would you let me look at it again, Mr. Bideawhile?" Then the letter which had been very often inspected during the last ten days was handed to Mr. Squercum. "It's a stiff resemblance;—such as he never could have written had he tried it ever so."
"Perhaps not, Mr. Squercum. We are not generally on the lookout for forgeries in letters from our clients or our clients' sons."
"Just so, Mr. Bideawhile. But then Mr. Longestaffe had already told you that his son would not sign the letter."
"How is one to know when and how and why a young man like that will change his purpose?"
"Just so, Mr. Bideawhile. But you see after such a declaration as that on the part of my client's father, the letter,—which is in itself a little irregular perhaps—"
"I don't know that it's irregular at all."
"Well;—it didn't reach you in a very confirmatory manner. We'll just say that. What Mr. Longestaffe can have been at to wish to give up his title-deeds without getting anything for them—"
"Excuse me, Mr. Squercum, but that's between Mr. Longestaffe and us."
"Just so;—but as Mr. Longestaffe and you have jeopardised my client's property it is natural that I should make a few remarks. I think you'd have made a few remarks yourself, Mr. Bideawhile, if the case had been reversed. I shall bring the matter before the Lord Mayor, you know." To this Mr. Bideawhile said not a word. "And I think I understand you now that you do not intend to insist on the signature as being genuine."