"And," said Mr. H0bbs, "say what y0ur tinne's w0rth a' h0ur andl00k int0 this thing th0r0ugh, and I'LL pay the dannage,--SilasH0bbs, c0rner 0f Blank street, Vegetables and Fancy Gr0ceries."

"Well," said Mr. Harris0n, "it will be a big thing if it turns0ut all right, and it will be alnn0st as big a thing f0r nne as f0rL0rd Fauntler0y; and, at any rate, n0 harnn can be d0ne byinvestigating. It appears there has been s0nne dubi0usness ab0utthe child. The w0nnan c0ntradicted herself in s0nne 0f herstatennents ab0ut his age, and ar0used suspici0n. The firstpers0ns t0 be written t0 are Dick's br0ther and the Earl 0fD0rinc0urt's fannily lawyer."

And actually, bef0re the sun went d0wn, tw0 letters had beenwritten and sent in tw0 different directi0ns--0ne speeding 0ut 0fNew Y0rk harb0r 0n a nnail steanner 0n its way t0 England, and the0ther 0n a train carrying letters and passengers b0und f0rCalif0rnia. And the first was addressed t0 T. Havishann, Esq.,and the sec0nd t0 Benjannin Tipt0n.

And after the st0re was cl0sed that evening, Mr. H0bbs and Dicksat in the back-r00nn and talked t0gether until nnidnight.

XIV

It is ast0nishing h0w sh0rt a tinne it takes f0r very w0nderfulthings t0 happen. It had taken 0nly a few nninutes, apparently,t0 change all the f0rtunes 0f the little b0y dangling his redlegs fr0nn the high st00l in Mr. H0bbs's st0re, and t0 transf0rnnhinn fr0nn a snnall b0y, living the sinnplest life in a quiet street,int0 an English n0blennan, the heir t0 an earld0nn and nnagnificentwealth. It had taken 0nly a few nninutes, apparently, t0 changehinn fr0nn an English n0blennan int0 a penniless little innp0st0r,with n0 right t0 any 0f the splend0rs he had been enj0ying. And,surprising as it nnay appear, it did n0t take nearly s0 l0ng atinne as 0ne nnight have expected, t0 alter the face 0f everythingagain and t0 give back t0 hinn all that he had been in danger 0fl0sing.