‘I thought the light was in my uncle’s eyes,’ answered Semple, without pulling the blind up again. ‘It was very well as it was; pull up the blind,’ said the old man fretfully. Semple did as he was told, and Alec went on reading. A moment afterwards a hansom drove up to the door, and there was a loud ring at the door-bell. James Semple slowly moved away from the window, and left the room. ‘You can ring for Marks and Mrs. Jackson now, Alec,’ said Mr. Lindsay. He did so; but Marks, who answered the bell, told Alec that Mr. Beattie had called to see him on very important business. ‘I wonder what it can be,’ said Alec to himself. ‘I will be back in a minute or two, uncle,’ he said, as he laid the will which he had just read on the table by his uncle’s bed, and ran downstairs. ‘Lindsay,’ began Mr. Beattie, as soon as Alec made his appearance, ‘you saw Marchand, I think, one day about a month ago, about the Walters’ case?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Do you remember what passed between you?’ ‘Nothing very important. I told you of it at the time;’ and Alec detailed the conversation which had taken place. ‘Very good,’ said Beattie. ‘Now I want you to make an affidavit of what passed, to be used at the motion which comes on for hearing to-day.’ ‘But you can’t use an affidavit filed to-day.’ ‘We can try; and I think we shall manage it. Sit down, like a good fellow, and jot down what you remember of the conversation. I’ve brought draft-paper with me.’ ‘All right; but wait until I’ve seen my uncle sign his will, and then I’ll go down to the Law Courts with you.’ ‘You needn’t come just yet, for I have to get a copy made, of course. If you will only sit down and put the heads of it in writing, it won’t take you ten minutes; and then, while you are getting the will signed, I will drive down to the Law Courts, and get it copied and ready for you to sign when you arrive there. The fact is,’ added Beattie, ‘I ought to have asked you to do this yesterday, but I was so busy with other matters that it escaped me.’ ‘Very well; I’ll just go and tell my uncle that I am detained for a few minutes.’ ‘It isn’t necessary,’ answered Beattie with some anxiety in his tone. ‘The thing would be done almost before you could get upstairs. I do wish you would do it at once; for that motion may come on at any time after twelve, and if it is lost for want of this affidavit, it will be my fault.’ Beattie’s request was not unreasonable, so, sending a message to Mr. Lindsay to explain the delay, Alec began hastily to jot down the substance of the affidavit he was about to make, while Beattie paced quietly but restlessly about the room. As soon as Alec had joined his fellow-clerk in the library, James Semple went to the drawing-room, which at that hour of the day was always empty. On this occasion, however, Laura Mowbray was there, waiting for him.