ve read the figures wrong—it may be two thousand！”
“It is written in letters； not figures；—twenty thousand。”
I again felt rather like an individual of but average gastronomical powers sitting down to feast alone at a table spread with provisions for a hundred。 Mr。 Rivers rose now and put his cloak on。
“If it were not such a very wild night；” he said； “I would send Hannah down to keep you pany： you look too desperately miserable to be left alone。 But Hannah； poor woman！ could not stride the drifts so well as I： her legs are not quite so long： so I must e’en leave you to your sorrows。 Good…night。”
He was lifting the latch： a sudden thought occurred to me。 “Stop one minute！” I cried。
“Well？”
“It puzzles me to know why Mr。 Briggs wrote to you about me； or how he knew you； or could fancy that you； living in such an out…of…the… way place； had the power to aid in my discovery。”
“Oh！ I am a clergyman；” he said； “and the clergy are often appealed to about odd matters。” Again the latch rattled。
“No； that does not satisfy me！” I exclaimed： and indeed there was something in the hasty and unexplanatory reply which； instead of allaying； piqued my curiosity more than ever。
“It is a very strange piece of business；” I added； “I must know more about it。”
“Another time。”
“No； to…night！—to…night！” and as he turned from the door； I placed myself between it and him。 He looked rather embarrassed。
“You certainly shall not go till you have told me all；” I said。
“I would rather not just now。”
“You shall！—you must！”
“I would rather Diana or Mary informed you。”
Of course these objections wrought my eagerness to a climax： gratified it must be； and that without delay； and I told him so。