"It's the safest card in the pack," said the latter. "You please
everybody; especially the little brother. You should always hold his
hand--it looks well for one thing, and if you shut your eyes--"

"I don't want any of your nonsense," said the maddened Jem. "What do you
mean by reading my private papers?"

"I came over to look for the manifest," said Mr. Swann, "and I read it
before I could make out what it was. You must admit it's a bit cryptic.
I thought it was a new game at first. Getting hold of the old lady
sounds like a sort of blind-man's buff. But why not get hold of the
young one? Why waste time over--"

"Go to the devil," said the junior partner.

"Any more suggestions I can give you, you are heartily welcome to," said
Mr. Swann, going back to his seat. "All my vast experience is at your
service, and the best and sweetest and prettiest girls in Sunwich regard
me as a sort of second father."

"What's a second father?" inquired Jim, looking up--"a grandfather?"

"Go your own way," said the other; "I wash my hands of you. You're not
in earnest, or you'd clutch at any straw. But let me give you one word
of advice. Be careful how you get hold of the old lady; let her
understand from the commencement that it isn't her."

Mr. Hardy went on with his work. There was a pile of it in front of him
and an accumulation in his drawers. For some time he wrote assiduously,