She brought him the will--or, rather, a will. It was spread out
on a slope, and covered with a sheet of blotting-paper on which
she kept her fingers to prevent it slipping. Only the last four
lines were visible--"it is my wish shall be paid to her, free of
legacy duty, within seven days of my being buried". What went
before was hidden; the familiar conclusion seemed to be all that
he cared to see. Leaning over him, raising his right arm, as
gingerly as if it had been a piece of delicate porcelain, she
placed his dreadful, helpless fingers somehow about a pen. He
spoke to the two girls.
"As you know, I can do nothing by myself, so Mrs. Grahame, at my
request, is going to guide my hand so as to enable me to sign my
will. You understand, it is I who am signing it, not she."
It was a strange signature--"Cuthbert Grahame," in big,
sprawling letters; some of them unattached to each other, all
slanting in different directions. The owner of the name,
however, seemed to view the result with undiluted satisfaction.
"That's my signature--clear enough for any one to read. Now I
want you two girls to attach your names as witnesses to the fact
that I have signed my will in your presence."
Isabel removed the slope to the writing-table against the wall.
Then each of the girls wrote her name in turn. When they had
done so they left the room. So soon as they had gone Cuthbert
Grahame spoke to Isabel.
"Now let me have a look at that will of mine in its finished
condition. Thank goodness it is done. It's a weight off my
mind--a relief for which I have to thank you."
Isabel stood at the writing-table, looking down, with a smile on
her face, at the paper he had signed.
"Do you say that you want to see your will now that it's all
signed, sealed and finished?"
"Yes; didn't you hear what I said? Then I want you to put it
under my pillow. I'll show it Twelves when he comes. He'll laugh
when he sees it."
"I expect he will laugh. Is Dr. Twelves coming to-day?"
"He said something about it. If not, then he'll be here
to-morrow. It will keep till then."
"Oh yes; it will keep till then."
"What are you waiting for? Why don't you bring the will? Don't I
tell you I want to read it again?"
She went to the bed, the sheet of paper extended between her two
hands.
"Here's your will, Mr. Grahame; by all means read it again."
He read it, once, twice, then again. Then he tried to speak. It
seemed that his voice failed him. It was not pleasant to notice
the stammer which seemed to mark his struggles for breath.
"What--what folly's this? That's not the will I signed."
Her eyes were dancing with laughter. There was a merry ring in
her voice, as if she was in the enjoyment of an excellent joke.
"Oh yes, it is."
"It's not the one you drafted."
"Oh yes, it is."
"It isn't the one you showed me just now."
"Isn't it? Are you quite, quite sure?"
"Of course I'm sure! It's a trick!--a fraud! This is not my
will!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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