"Lord!" I cried. "Cousin Tom!—"
Then I bit my lip; but it was too late.
"Yes," said the other, very gravely. "I can see that you remember. It was your cousin who brought them up from Hare Street. He found them all in a little hiding-hole: and conceived it to be his duty—"
"His duty!" I cried. "Good God! why—"
Then again I checked myself.
"Mr. Chiffinch," said I, "I remember the paper perfectly: at least I remember that I had it, though I have never read it or thought anything of it."
"It is in very easy cypher, sir," said he, with some severity.
"Well; it was too hard for me," I said.
"Then why did you not shew it to me?" he asked.
"Lord! man," I said, "I tell you it was gone clean from my memory. I got it from Rumbald a great while ago—a year or two at the least before the Plot. It was on my mind to send it to you; but I did not. I had no idea that it was of the least importance."