ELINORwasallanxietytolearntheresultoftheinterview；andMaryVanAlstynealsonaturallyfeltmuchinterestinthesubject，asshe，too，wasacousinofWilliamStanley，theirmothershavingbeensisters。Elinorsoondiscoveredthatthesailorhadborneamuchbetterexaminationthaneitherofherfriendshadexpected；hehadmadenoglaringmistake，andhehadansweredtheirquestionsonsomepoints，withanaccuracyandreadinessthatwasquitestartling。HeevidentlyknewagreatdealabouttheStanleyfamily，theirhouse，andtheneighbourhood；whoeverhewas，therecouldhenodoubtthathehadknownMr。Stanleyhimself，andwasveryfamiliarwiththepartofthecountryinwhichhehadresided。Altogether，thepersonalresemblance，thehandwriting，thefactofhisbeingasailor，thepapershehadshown，theplausiblestatementhehadgiven，astohispastmovements，andhisintimateknowledgeofsomanyfacts，whichastrangercouldscarcelyhaveknown，madeupacombinationofcircumstances，quiteincomprehensibletothefriendsatWyllys-Roof。Still，inspiteofsomuchthatappearedinhisfavour，Mr。Wyllysdeclared，thatsofarashisownopinionwent，hehadtoomanydoubtsastothisman\'scharacter，toreceivehimasthesonofhisfriend，upontheevidencehehadthusfarlaidbeforethem。Thecircumstancesunderwhichheappeared，weresoverysuspiciousineverypointofview，thatthestrongestpossibleevidencesofhisidentitywouldberequired，tocounteractthem。ThelengthoftimethathadpassedsincethewreckoftheJefferson，thelongperiodduringwhichhisfather\'spropertyhadbeenleftinthehandsofothers，andthedoubtfulcharacterofthechannelthroughwhichtheclaimwasatlengthbroughtforward——allthesefactsunited，furnishedgoodgroundsforsuspectingsomethingwrong。Therewereotherpointstoo，uponwhichMr。Wyllyshadhisdoubts；althoughthegeneralresemblanceofthisindividualtoWilliamStanley，wassufficienttopasswithmostpeople，allowingforthenaturalchangesproducedbytime，yetthereweresomeminorpersonaltraits，whichdidnotcorrespondwithhisrecollectionofMr。Stanley\'sson：thevoiceappearedtohimdifferentintone；hewasalsodisposedtobelievetheclaimantshorterandfullerthanWilliamStanley，intheformationofhisbodyandlimbs；astothisman\'sgait，whichwasentirelydifferentfromthatofWilliamStanley，asaboy，nearerobservationhadincreasedMr。Wyllys\'sfirstimpressiononthatsubject。Ontheseparticularpoints，Mrs。
StanleyandHazlehurstwerenojudges；forthefirsthadscarcelyseenherstep-son，thelasthadonlyachild\'srecollectionofhim。NorcouldMissAgnes\'sopinionhavemuchweight，sinceshehadseldomseentheboy，duringthelastyearshepassedonshore；for，atthattime，shehadbeenmuchdetainedathome，bytheillhealthofhermother。Hazlehursthadwatchedtheclaimantclosely，andtheinterviewhadsilencedhisfirstmisgivings，forhehadbeenmuchstruckwithtwothings：hehadalwaysheard，wheneverthesubjectofWilliamStanley\'scharacterhadbeenalludedtobeforehim，thatthisunfortunateyoungmanwassullenintemper，anddullinmind。Now，thesailor\'swholeexpressionandmanner，inhisopinion，hadshowntoomuchclevernessforWilliamStanley；hehadappeareddecidedlyquick-witted，andhiscountenancewascertainlyrathergood-naturedthanotherwise。Mr。
WyllysadmittedthatHarry\'sviewswerejust；hewasstruckwithboththeseobservations；hethoughtthemcorrectandimportant。
ThenHazlehurstthoughthehadseensomesignsofintelligencebetweenClappandthesailoronceortwice，amereglance；hecouldnotbepositive，however，sinceitmighthavebeenhisownsuspicions。AstothevolumeoftheSpectator，hehadfeltatfirstmorallycertainthathehadreadthatveryvolumeatGreatwood，onlyfouryearsago，buthehadsincerememberedthathisbrotherhadthesameedition，andhemighthavereadthebookinPhiladelphia；inthemeantimehewouldtrytorecallthecircumstancesmoreclearlytohismind；forsolongashehadadoubt，hecouldnotsweartothefact。Heknewitwasnottheoctavoedition，atGreatwood，thathehadbeenreading，forhedistinctlyrememberedtheportraitofSteeleinthefrontispiece，andAddison\'spapersontheParadiseLost，whichhehadbeenreading；thatveryportrait，andthosepapers，werecontainedinthevolumehandedtohimbyClapp。BothMr。WyllysandHazlehurstweregratifiedtofind，thatMrs。Stanleydifferedfromthemlessthantheyhadfeared。Sheconfessed，thatatonemomentherhearthadmisgivenher，butonlookingcloselyatthesailor，shethoughthimlesslikeherhusbandthanshehadexpected；andshehadbeenparticularlystruckbyhisembarrassment，whenshehadaskedhimtodescribethefurnitureofthedrawing-roomatGreatwood，theverylastsummerhehadbeenthere，forheoughtcertainlyundersuchcircumstances，tohaveremembereditaswellasherself；hehadlookedpuzzled，andhadglancedatMr。Clapp，andthelawyerhadimmediatelybrokenofftheexamination。Suchweretheopinionsofthefriendsatthisstageoftheproceedings。Stillitwasanalarmingtruth，thatiftherewereimprobabilities，minorfacts，andshadesofmanner，tostrengthentheirdoubts，therewas，ontheotherside，ashowofevidence，whichmightverypossiblyproveenoughtoconvinceajury。
Hazlehursthadathousandthingstoattendto，buthehaddecidedtowaitatWyllys-RoofuntilthearrivalofMr。Ellsworth。