How it had at length become plain to Mr Pancks that he had made
a real discovery of the heir-at-law to a great fortune, and that his
discovery had but to be ripened to legal fulness and perfection. How
he had, thereupon, sworn his landlord, Mr Rugg, to secrecy in a solemn
manner, and taken him into Moleing partnership.
How they had employed John Chivery as their sole clerk and agent,
seeing to whom he was devoted. And how, until the present hour, when
authorities mighty in the Bank and learned in the law declared their
successful labours ended, they had confided in no other human being.
'So if the whole thing had broken down, sir,' concluded Pancks, 'at the
very last, say the day before the other day when I showed you our papers
in the Prison yard, or say that very day, nobody but ourselves would
have been cruelly disappointed, or a penny the worse.'
Clennam, who had been almost incessantly shaking hands with him
throughout the narrative, was reminded by this to say, in an amazement
which even the preparation he had had for the main disclosure smoothed
down, 'My dear Mr Pancks, this must have cost you a great sum of money.'
'Pretty well, sir,' said the triumphant Pancks. 'No trifle, though we
did it as cheap as it could be done. And the outlay was a difficulty,
let me tell you.' 'A difficulty!' repeated Clennam. 'But the difficulties you have so
wonderfully conquered in the whole business!' shaking his hand again.
'I'll tell you how I did it,' said the delighted Pancks, putting his
hair into a condition as elevated as himself. 'First, I spent all I had
of my own. That wasn't much.' 'I am sorry for it,' said Clennam: 'not that it matters now, though.
Then, what did you do?' 'Then,' answered Pancks, 'I borrowed a sum of my proprietor.' 'Of Mr Casby?' said Clennam. 'He's a fine old fellow.'
'Noble old boy; an't he?' said Mr Pancks, entering on a series of the
dryest snorts. 'Generous old buck. Confiding old boy. Philanthropic old
buck. Benevolent old boy! Twenty per cent. I engaged to pay him, sir.
But we never do business for less at our shop.'
Arthur felt an awkward consciousness of having, in his exultant
condition, been a little premature. 'I said to that boiling-over old Christian,' Mr Pancks pursued,
appearing greatly to relish this descriptive epithet, 'that I had got a
little project on hand; a hopeful one; I told him a hopeful one; which
wanted a certain small capital. I proposed to him to lend me the
money on my note.