Domestic fiction; Inheritance and succession -- Fiction; Wales -- Fiction
As he spoke, Mr Apjohn had stopped his walk, and was standing with
his back close to the book-shelves, with the back of his head almost
touching the set of Jeremy Taylor's works. There were ten volumes
of them, and he was standing exactly in front of them. Cousin Henry
was just in front of him, doubting whether his enemy's position had
not been chosen altogether by accident, but still trembling at the
near approach. He was prepared for a spring if it was necessary.
Anything should be hazarded now, so that discovery might be avoided.
Mr Brodrick was still seated in the chair which he had at first
occupied, waiting till that order should be given to him to go for
the magistrate's warrant.
Mr Apjohn's eye had caught the author's name on the back of the book,
and he remembered at once that he had seen the volume,--a volume
with Jeremy Taylor's name on the back of it,--lying on the old man's
table. "Jeremy Taylor's Works. Sermons." He remembered the volume.
That had been a long time ago,--six months ago; but the old man might
probably take a long time over so heavy a book. "You will let me look
at some of these," he said, pointing with his thumb over his back.
"You shall not touch a book without a regular order," said Cousin
Henry.
Mr Apjohn fixed the man's eye for a moment. He was the smaller man of
the two, and much the elder; but he was wiry, well set, and strong.
The other was soft, and unused to much bodily exercise. There could
be no doubt as to which would have the best of it in a personal
struggle. Very quickly he turned round and got his hand on one of
the set, but not on the right one. Cousin Henry dashed at him, and in
the struggle the book fell to the ground. Then the attorney seized
him by the throat, and dragged him forcibly back to the table. "Take
them all out one by one, and shake them," he said to the other
attorney,--"that set like the one on the floor. I'll hold him while
you do it."
Mr Brodrick did as he was told, and, one by one, beginning from the
last volume, he shook them all till he came to volume 4. Out of that
fell the document.
"Is it the will?" shouted Mr Apjohn, with hardly breath enough to
utter the words.
Mr Brodrick, with a lawyer's cautious hands, undid the folds, and
examined the document. "It certainly is a will," he said,--"and is
signed by my brother-in-law."
CHAPTER XXII
How Cousin Henry Was Let Off Easily
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