`Bitsofoldwoodcarvingsfromthepulpit，andpanelsfromthechancel，andimagesfromtheorgan-loft，’saidtheclerk。`Portraitsofthetwelveapostlesinwood，andnotawholenoseamong’em。Allbroken，andworm-eaten，andcrumblingtodustattheedges。Asbrittleascrockery，sir，andasoldasthechurch，ifnotolder。’
`AndwhyweretheygoingtoLondon？Toberepaired？’
`That’sit，sir，toberepaired，andwheretheywerepastrepair，tobecopiedinsoundwood。But，blessyou，themoneyfellshort，andtheretheyare，waitingfornewsubscriptions，andnobodytosubscribe。Itwasalldoneayearago，sir。Sixgentlemendinedtogetheraboutit，atthehotelinthenewtown。Theymadespeeches，andpassedresolutions，andputtheirnamesdown，andprintedoffthousandsofprospectuses。Beautifulprospectuses，sir，allflourishedoverwithGothicdevicesinredink，sayingitwasadisgracenottorestorethechurchandrepairthefamouscarvings，andsoon。Therearetheprospectusesthatcouldn’tbedistributed，andthearchitect’splansandestimates，andthewholecorrespondencewhichseteverybodyatloggerheadsandendedinadispute，alldowntogetherinthatcorner，behindthepacking-cases。Themoneydribbledinalittleatfirst——butwhatFanyouexpectoutofLondon？Therewasjustenough，youknow，topackthebrokencarvings，andgettheestimates，andpaytheprinter’sbill，andafterthattherewasn’tahalfpennyleft。Therethethingsare，asIsaidbefore。Wehavenowhereelsetoputthem——nobodyinthenewtowncaresaboutaccommodatingus——we’reinalostcorner——andthisisanuntidyvestry——andwho’stohelpit？——that’swhatIwanttoknow。’
Myanxietytoexaminetheregisterdidnotdisposemetooffermuchencouragementtotheoldman’stalkativeness。Iagreedwithhimthatnobodycouldhelptheuntidinessofthevestry，andthensuggestedthatweshouldproceedtoourbusinesswithoutmoredelay。
`Ay，ay，themarriage-register，tobesure，’saidtheclerk，takingalittlebunchofkeysfromhispocket。`Howfardoyouwanttolookback，sir？’
MarianhadinformedmeofSirPercival’sageatthetimewhenwehadspokentogetherofhismarriageengagementwithLaura。Shehadthendescribedhimasbeingforty-fiveyearsold。Calculatingbackfromthis，andmakingdueallowancefortheyearthathadpassedsinceIhadgainedmyinformation，Ifoundthathemusthavebeenbornineighteenhundredandfour，andthatImightsafelystartonmysearchthroughtheregisterfromthatdate。
`Iwanttobeginwiththeyeareighteenhundredandfour，’Isaid。
`Whichwayafterthat，sir？’askedtheclerk。`Forwardstoourtimeorbackwardsawayfromus？’
`Backwardsfromeighteenhundredandfour。’
Heopenedthedoorofoneofthepresses——thepressfromthesideofwhichthesurpliceswerehanging——andproducedalargevolumeboundingreasybrownleather。Iwasstruckbytheinsecurityoftheplaceinwhichtheregisterwaskept。Thedoorofthepresswaswarpedandcrackedwithage，andthelockwasofthesmallestandcommonestkind。Icouldhaveforcediteasilywiththewalking-stickIcarriedinmyhand。
`Isthatconsideredasufficientlysecureplacefortheregister？’I
inquired。`Surelyabookofsuchimportanceasthisoughttobeprotectedbyabetterlock，andkeptcarefullyinanironsafe？’
`Well，now，that’scuriousI’saidtheclerk，shuttingupthebookagain，justafterhehadopenedit，andsmackinghishandcheerfullyonthecover。
`Thoseweretheverywordsmyoldmasterwasalwayssayingyearsandyearsago，whenIwasalad。``Whyisn’ttheregister’’(meaningthisregisterhere，undermy。hand)——``whyisn’titkeptinanironsafe？’’IfI’veheardhimsaythatonce，I’veheardhimsayitahundredtimes。Hewasthesolicitorinthosedays，sir，whohadtheappointmentofvestry-clerktothischurch。Afineheartyoldgentleman，andthemostparticularmanbreathing。AslongashelivedhekeptacopyofthisbookinhisofficeatKnowlesbury，andhaditpostedupregular，fromtimetotime，tocorrespondwiththefreshentrieshere。Youwouldhardlythinkit，buthehadhisownappointeddays，onceortwiceineveryquarter，forridingovertothischurchonhisoldwhitepony，tocheckthecopy，bytheregister，withhisowneyesandhands。``HowdoIknow？’’(heusedtosay)``howdoIknowthattheregisterinthisvestrymaynotbestolenordestroyed？
Whyisn’titkeptinanironsafe？Whycan’tImakeotherpeopleascarefulasIammyself？Someofthesedaystherewillbeanaccidenthappen，andwhentheregister’slost，thentheparishwillfindoutthevalueofmycopy。’’Heusedtotakehispinchofsnuffafterthat，andlookabouthimasboldasalord。Ah！thelikeofhimfordoingbusinessisn’teasytofindnow。YoumaygotoLondonandnotmatchhim，eventhere。Whichyeardidyousay，sir？Eighteenhundredandwhat？’
`Eighteenhundredandfour，’Ireplied，mentallyresolvingtogivetheoldmannomoreopportunitiesoftalking，untilmyexaminationoftheregisterwasover。
Theclerkputonhisspectacles，andturnedovertheleavesoftheregister，carefullywettinghisfingerandthumbateverythirdpage。`Thereitis，sir，’saidhe，withanothercheerfulsmackontheopenvolume。`There’stheyearyouwant。’
AsIwasignorantofthemonthinwhichSirPercivalwasborn，Ibeganmybackwardsearchwiththeearlypartoftheyear。Theregister-bookwasoftheold-fashionedkind，theentriesbeingallmadeonblankpagesinmanuscript，andthedivisionswhichseparatedthembeingindicatedbyinklinesdrawnacrossthepageatthecloseofeachentry。
Ireachedthebeginningoftheyeareighteenhundredandfourwithoutencounteringthemarriage，andthentravelledbackthroughDecembereighteenhundredandthree——throughNovemberandOctober——through——
No！notthroughSeptemberalso。UndertheheadingofthatmonthintheyearIfoundthemarriage。
Ilookedcarefullyattheentry。Itwasatthebottomofapage，andwasforwantofroomcompressedintoasmallerspacethanthatoccupiedbythemarriagesabove。Themarriageimmediatelybeforeitwasimpressedonmyattentionbythecircumstanceofthebridegroom’sChristiannamebeingthesameasmyown。Theentryimmediatelyfollowingit(onthetopofthenextpage)wasnoticeableinanotherwayfromthelargespaceitoccupied，therecordinthiscaseregisteringthemarriagesoftwobrothersatthesametime。TheregisterofthemarriageofSirFelixGlydewasinnorespectremarkableexceptforthenarrownessofthespaceintowhichitwascompressedatthebottomofthepage。Theinformationabouthiswifewastheusualinformationgiveninsuchcases。Shewasdescribedas`CeciliaJaneElster，ofPark-ViewCottages，Knowlesbury，onlydaughterofthelatePatrickElster，Esq。，formerlyofBath。’
Inoteddowntheseparticularsinmypocket-book，feelingasIdidsobothdoubtfulanddisheartenedaboutmynextproceedings。TheSecretwhichIhadbelieveduntilthismomenttobewithinmygraspseemednowfartherfrommyreachthanever。
Whatsuggestionsofanymysteryunexplainedhadarisenoutofmyvisittothevestry？Isawnosuggestionsanywhere。WhatProgresshadImadetowardsdiscoveringthesuspectedstainonthereputationofSirPercival’smother？TheonefactIhadascertainedvindicatedherreputation。Freshdoubts，freshdifficulties，freshdelaysbegantoopenbeforemeininterminableprospect。WhatwasItodonext？Theoneimmediateresourcelefttomeappearedtobethis。Imightinstituteinquiriesabout`MissElsterofKnowlesbury，’onthechanceofadvancingtowardsthemainobjectofmyinvestigation，byfirstdiscoveringthesecretofMrsCatherick’scontemptforSirPercival’smother。
`Haveyoufoundwhatyouwanted，sir？’saidtheclerk，asIclosedtheregister-book。
`Yes，’Ireplied，`butIhavesomeinquiriesstilltomake。Isupposetheclergymanwhoofficiatedhereintheyeareighteenhundredandthreeisnolongeralive？’
`No，no，sir，hewasdeadthreeorfouryearsbeforeIcamehere，andthatwasaslongagoastheyeartwenty-seven，Igotthisplace，sir，’
persistedmytalkativeoldfriend，`throughtheclerkbeforemeleavingit。Theysayhewasdrivenoutofhouseandhomebyhiswife——andshe’slivingstilldowninthenewtownthere。Idon’tknowtherightsofthestorymyself——allIknowisIgottheplace。MrWansboroughgotitforme——thesonofmyoldmasterthatIwastellingyouof。He’safreepleasantgentlemanaseverlived——ridestothehounds，keepshispointersandallthat。He’svestry-clerkherenowashisfatherwasbeforehim。
`DidyounottellmeyourformermasterlivedatKnowlesbury？’Iasked，callingtomindthelongstoryabouttheprecisegentlemanoftheoldschoolwithwhichmytalkativefriendhadweariedmebeforeheopenedtheregister-book。
`Yes，tobesure，sir，’repliedtheclerk。`OldMrWansboroughlivedatKnowlesbury，andyoungMrWansboroughlivestheretoo。’
`Yousaidjustnowhewasvestry-clerk，likehisfatherbeforehim。
IamnotquitesurethatIknowwhatavestry-clerkis。’
`Don’tyouindeed，sir？——andyoucomefromLondontoo！Everyparishchurch，youknow，hasavestry-clerkandaparish-clerk。Theparish-clerkisamanlikeme(exceptthatI’vegotadealmorelearningthanmostofthem——thoughIdon’tboastofit)。Thevestry-clerkisasortofanappointmentthatthelawyersget，andifthere’sanybusinesstobedoneforthevestry，whytheretheyaretodoit。It’sjustthesameinLondon。Everyparishchurchtherehasgotitsvestry-clerk——andyoumaytakemywordforithe’ssuretobealawyer。’
`ThenyoungMrWansboroughisalawyer，Isuppose？’
`Ofcourseheis，sir！AlawyerinHighStreet，Knowlesbury——theoldofficesthathisfatherhadbeforehim。ThenumberoftimesI’vesweptthoseofficesout，andseentheoldgentlemancometrottingintobusinessonhiswhitepony，lookingrightandleftalldownthestreetandnoddingtoeverybody！Blessyou，hewasapopularcharacter！——he’dhavedoneinLondon！’
`HowfarisittoKnowlesburyfromthisplace？’
`Alongstretch，sir，’saidtheclerk，withthatexaggeratedideaofdistance，andthatvividperceptionofdifficultiesingettingfromplacetoplace，whichispeculiartoallcountrypeople。`Nighonfivemile，Icantellyou！’
Itwasstillearlyintheforenoon。TherewasplentyoftimeforawalktoKnowlesburyandbackagaintoWelmingham；andtherewasnopersonprobablyinthetownwhowasfittertoassistmyinquiriesaboutthecharacterandpositionofSirPercival’smotherbeforehermarriagethanthelocalsolicitor。
