Clearly Vincey was either drunk or mad. That
being so, what did it mean? and what was in the sealed iron chest?
The whole thing baffled and puzzled me to such an extent that at last I
could stand it no longer, and determined to sleep over it. So I jumped
up, and having put the keys and the letter that Vincey had left away
into my despatch-box, and stowed the iron chest in a large portmanteau,
I turned in, and was soon fast asleep.
As it seemed to me, I had only been asleep for a few minutes when I was
awakened by somebody calling me. I sat up and rubbed my eyes; it was
broad daylight--eight o'clock, in fact.
"Why, what is the matter with you, John?" I asked of the gyp who waited
on Vincey and myself. "You look as though you had seen a ghost!"
"Yes, sir, and so I have," he answered, "leastways I've seen a corpse,
which is worse. I've been in to call Mr. Vincey, as usual, and there he
lies stark and dead!"
II
THE YEARS ROLL BY
As might be expected, poor Vincey's sudden death created a great stir
in the College; but, as he was known to be very ill, and a satisfactory
doctor's certificate was forthcoming, there was no inquest.
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