And they went. At least Mr Thomas Cox and the Flyman went--the first-named gentleman with an undignified rush, the second not very far from his heels; but Mr Burton lingered on the threshold to waft a kiss on his finger-tips to Miss Casata. 'Best love, Louise.' The lady made a dash at him, inarticulate with rage. 'You--you!' Miss Bewicke stayed her progress. 'Louise!' Mr Burton laughed. 'My dearest girl, you can't expect to embrace me before all these people! Propriety forbids.' When he had disappeared, Mr Dumville gave voice to his sentiments. 'I wish you'd let me kill him!' Miss Bewicke nodded her head, with an air of the profoundest wisdom, as she laid her little hands on his two arms. 'My dear Bryan, before very long he'll be wanting to kill himself; that'll be so much nicer for us and so much worse for him.' CHAPTER XX HOW THE CHASE WAS ENDED Mr Samuel Collyer was seated in his office. Spread open on the table in front of him was Mr George Burton's will, which apparently he had just been studying. The study seemed to have afforded him amusement. Leaning back in his chair, he smiled. He referred to his watch. 'Twenty minutes past; they will soon be here. On these occasions, punctuality ought to be the rule, and generally is. George Burton was a curious man, and left a curious will. And yet I don't know. Why should I, or anyone, call it curious? By what right? When a man has neither wife nor children, and his only kindred are a couple of nephews to whom he is not particularly attached, surely he has a right to do as he likes with his own. It is his own--as yet. And if he chooses to attach to the succession certain conditions which appeal, we'll say, to his sense of humour, what title has anyone, lawyer or layman, to comment adversely on the expression of his wishes? So long as they are not in opposition to the general welfare of the body politic, it seems to me none. In a sense, most wills are curious, when you get right into them and understand their ins and outs. I daresay mine will be. I'm a bachelor. Upon my word, I don't know who has the best claim to the few pence I shall leave. Why shouldn't I ornament my testamentary dispositions with a few characteristic touches? Why not?'