, might be easily reckoned upon.
    Apart from these considerations, Martin could not endure the thought of
seeming to grasp at this unnatural charge against his relative, and using it as
a stepping-stone to his grandfather's favour. But, that he would seem to do so,
if he presented himself before his grandfather in Mr. Pecksniff's house again,
for the purpose of declaring it; and that Mr. Pecksniff, of all men, would
represent his conduct in that despicable light, he perfectly well knew. On the
other hand, to be in possession of such a statement, and take no measures of
further inquiry in reference to it, was tantamount to being a partner in the
guilt it professed to disclose.
    In a word, they were wholly unable to discover any outlet from this maze of
difficulty, which did not lie through some perplexed and entangled thicket. And
although Mr. Tapley was promptly taken into their confidence; and the fertile
imagination of that gentleman suggested many bold expedients, which, to do him
justice, he was quite ready to carry into instant operation on his own personal
responsibility; still 'bating the general zeal of Mr. Tapley's nature, nothing
was made particularly clearer by these offers of service.
    It was in this position of affairs that Tom's account of the strange
behaviour of the decayed clerk, on the night of the tea-party, became of great
moment, and finally convinced them that to arrive at a more accurate knowledge
of the workings of that old man's mind and memory, would be to take a most
important stride in their pursuit of the truth. So, having first satisfied
themselves that no communication had ever taken place between Lewsome and Mr.
Chuffey (which would have accounted at once for any suspicions the latter might
entertain), they unanimously resolved that the old clerk was the man they
wanted.
    But, like the unanimous resolution of a public meeting, which will
oftentimes declare that this or that grievance is not to be borne a moment
longer, which is nevertheless borne for a century or two afterwards, without any
modification, they only reached in this the conclusion that they were all of one
mind. For, it was one thing to want Mr. Chuffey, and another thing to get at
him; and to do that without alarming him, or without alarming Jonas, or without
being discomfited by the difficulty of striking, in an instrument so out of tune
and so unused, the note they sought, was an end as far from their reach as ever.
    The question then became, who
