Only one love : $b or, Who was the heirGarvice, Charles
General
Only one love : $b or, Who was the heir
Garvice, Charles
Dime novels; English fiction
"You know all that is required; we leave everything to you, Mr Hudsley.
I think I may speak for my cousin--may I not, Jack?"
Jack did not reply, but put on his gloves.
"I will go now," he said. "Good-night, Mr. Hudsley."
The old lawyer looked at him keenly as he took his hand.
"I shall find you at the 'Bush?'" he said.
"Yes," replied Jack, and was leaving the room when Stephen rose and
followed him.
"Good-night, my dear Jack," he said. "Will you not shake hands on--on
such an occasion?"
Jack strode to the door and opened it without reply, then turned and, as
if with an effort, took the hand which Stephen had kept extended.
"Good-night," he said, dropping the cold fingers, and strode out.
Stephen looked after him a moment with his meek, long-suffering
expression of face changed into a malignant smile of triumph, and his
hand went up to his breast pocket.
"Good-night, beggar!" he murmured, and closed the door.
Mr. Hudsley was still standing by the library-table, toying absently
with the keys, a thoughtful frown on his brow, which did not grow
any lighter as Stephen entered, making great play with the
pocket-handkerchief.
"I think I also may go now, Mr. Stephen," he said. "Nothing more can be
done to-night. I will be here in the morning with my clerk."
"I suppose nothing more can be done. You have sealed up all papers and
jewels? I am particularly anxious that nothing shall be left informal."
"I don't think there is anything unsealed that should have been."
"A very strange scene, the final one, Mr. Stephen."
"Awful, awful, Mr. Hudsley. My poor uncle seemed quite delirious at the
last."
"Hem!" grunted the old lawyer, putting his hat to his lips and looking
over it at the white, smooth face. "You think he was delirious----"
"Don't you, Mr. Hudsley? Do you think that he was conscious of what he
was saying? You have been his legal adviser and confidant for years; you
would know whether there was any meaning in his wild and incoherent
statement about the will. As you are no doubt aware, my poor uncle never
broached the subject of his intentions to me."
"I know of only one will--that of last year. That will I executed for
him; it is the will locked up in the safe up-stairs. I have a copy at
the office," he added, dryly.
"You--you don't think there is any other--any other later will?" he
asked, softly.
"I didn't think so until an hour ago. I am not sure that I think so now.
Do you?"
"No," he said, shaking his head. "My uncle was not the man to draw up a
will with his own hand, and his confidence, and I may say affection for
you, were so great that he would not have gone to any other legal
adviser to do it for him. No, I do not think there is any other will; of
course, I do not know the contents of the will in the safe."
"Of course not," said Mr. Hudsley, in a tone so dry that it seemed to
rasp his throat.
"And yet I cannot understand, my poor uncle's outbreak, except by
attributing it to delirium."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account