England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction; Families -- Fiction; Murder -- Fiction
The funeral party walked back to the house, where for the first time for
seventy years there was a table spread. All were there--the ancient
lady, daughter of the dead man, stately with her black silk and laces,
with the bearing of a Duchess, leaning on the arm of her grand-nephew;
the two grandsons, Fred and Christopher; the wife and children of the
latter; Mr. Samuel Galley and Mary Anne his sister; and Constance,
great-grandniece of the deceased. With them came the agent, a solicitor
from the neighbouring town.
After luncheon the agent produced the Will.
“This Will,” he said, “was drawn up by my great-grandfather in the year
1826, exactly one month after the tragic event which so weighed upon his
client’s mind.”
“Was he in his right mind?” asked Sam, turning very red. “I ask the
question without prejudice.”
“Sir, he was always in his right mind. He would not speak, but on
occasion he would write. He was never, down to the very end, in any
sense out of his mind. I have letters and instructions from him year
after year for seventy years--my firm has acted for this family for a
hundred years--which will establish his complete sanity should that be
questioned.”
“Well, the Will,” said Sam. “Let’s get to the Will.”
“I will read the Will.”
For the will of a rich man, it was comparatively short; there was in it,
however, a clause which caused Leonard to glance curiously and
inquiringly at Constance.
“I don’t understand,” said Sam. “There’s something left to me----”
“No, sir--to your grandmother. To you, nothing.”
“It’s the same thing. What is hers is mine.”
“No,” said the lady concerned, stiffly. “You will find, my grandson,
that you are mistaken.”
“Well,” said Sam, disconcerted, “anyhow, you’ve got a share. What I want
to know is the meaning of that clause about somebody’s heirs. What have
they got to do with it?”
“Perhaps,” said Leonard, “you might kindly explain the Will.”
“Certainly. The testator had at the time of making his will a certain
amount of personal property to bequeath. The property consisted partly
of invested moneys, chiefly his mother’s fortune. As he was an only
child, the whole of this personal property came to him. Partly it
consisted of a town-house in Berkeley Square, also part of his mother’s
property not entailed, and his pictures, his library, and his furniture,
carriages, horses, etc. The latter part he has bequeathed to the heir
of the Campaigne estate--to you, Mr. Leonard. The former part,
consisting of the invested moneys, he bequeathes to his three children
in equal portions. As the second child was drowned and left no heirs,
this money will be divided equally between the elder son and the
daughter--you, Mrs. Galley; and as the elder son is dead, his heirs will
receive the money shared between them.”
“With all the Accumulations!” cried Sam. “Ah!” with a long, long breath
of relief.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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