The Orange-Yellow DiamondFletcher, J. S. (Joseph Smith)
General
The Orange-Yellow Diamond
Fletcher, J. S. (Joseph Smith)
Detective and mystery stories; Diamonds -- Fiction; London (England) -- Fiction
Old Daniel Multenius had been quietly laid to rest that afternoon, and
at the very moment in which Mr. Killick and his companions were driving
away from the police station to seek Stuyvesant Guyler at his hotel,
Mr. Penniket was closeted with Zillah and her cousin Melky Rubinstein
in the back-parlour of the shop in Praed Street--behind closed and
locked doors which they had no intention of opening to anybody. Now
that the old man was dead and buried, it was necessary to know how
things stood with respect to his will and his property, and, as Mr.
Penniket had remarked as they drove back from the cemetery, there was
no reason why they should not go into matters there and then. Zillah
and Melky were the only relations--and the only people concerned, said
Mr. Penniket. Five minutes would put them in possession of the really
pertinent facts as regards the provisions of the will--but there would
be details to go into. And now they were all three sitting round the
table, and Mr. Penniket had drawn two papers from his inner pocket--and
Zillah regarding him almost listlessly, and Melky with one of his
quietly solemn expression. Each had a pretty good idea of what was
coming and each regarded the present occasion as no more than a
formality.
"This is the will," said Mr. Penniket, selecting and unfolding one of
the documents. "It was made about a year ago--by me. That is, I drafted
it. It's a short, a very short and practical will, drafted from precise
instructions given to me by my late client, your grandfather. I may as
well tell you in a few words what it amounts to. Everything that he
left is to be sold--this business as a going concern; all his shares;
all his house property. The whole estate is to be realized by the
executors--your two selves. And when that's done, you're to divide the
lot--equally. One half is yours, Miss Wildrose; Mr. Rubinstein, the
other half is yours. And," concluded Mr. Penniket, rubbing his hands,
"you'll find you're very fortunate--not to say wealthy--young people,
and I congratulate you on your good fortune! Now, perhaps, you'd like
to read the will?"
Mr. Penniket laid the will on the table before the two cousins, and
they bent forward and read its legal phraseology. Zillah was the first
to look up and to speak.
"I never knew my grandfather had any house property," she said. "Did
you, Melky?"
"S'elp me, Zillah, if I ever knew what he had in that way!" answered
Melky. "He had his secrets and he could be close. No--I never knew of
his having anything but his business. But then, I might have known that
he'd invest his profits in some way or other."
The solicitor unfolded the other document.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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