The Talleyrand MaximFletcher, J. S. (Joseph Smith)
General
The Talleyrand Maxim
Fletcher, J. S. (Joseph Smith)
Detective and mystery stories
He turned to the door--and as he turned the door opened, to admit the
old butler who looked apologetically but earnestly at Nesta as he
stepped forward.
"A Mrs. Gaukrodger wishes to see you on very particular business," he
murmured. "She's been waiting some little time--something, she says,
about some papers she has just found--belonging to the late Mr. John
Mallathorpe."
Collingwood, who was standing close to Nesta, caught all the butler
said.
"Gaukrodger!" he exclaimed, with a quick glance at Eldrick. "That was
the name of the manager--a witness. See the woman at once," he whispered
to Nesta.
"Bring Mrs. Gaukrodger in, Dickenson," said Nesta. "Stay--I'll come with
you, and bring her in myself."
She returned a moment later with a slightly built, rather careworn woman
dressed in deep mourning--the woman in black whom they had seen crossing
the park--who looked nervously round her as she entered.
"What is it you have for me, Mrs. Gaukrodger?" asked Nesta. "Papers
belonging to the late Mr. John Mallathorpe? How--where did you get
them?"
Mrs. Gaukrodger drew a large envelope from under her cloak. "This,
miss," she answered. "One paper--I only found it this morning. In this
way," she went on, addressing herself to Nesta. "When my husband was
killed, along with Mr. John Mallathorpe, they, of course, brought home
the clothes he was wearing. There were a lot of papers in the pockets of
the coat--two pockets full of them. And I hadn't heart or courage to
look at them at that time, miss!--I couldn't, and I locked them up in a
box. I never looked at them until this very day--but this morning I
happened to open that box, and I saw them, and I thought I'd see what
they were. And this was one--you see, it's in a plain envelope--it was
sealed, but there's no writing on it. I cut the envelope open, and drew
the paper out, and I saw at once it was Mr. John Mallathorpe's will--so
I came straight to you with it."
She handed the envelope over to Nesta, who at once gave it to Eldrick.
The solicitor hastily drew out the enclosure, glanced it over, and
turned sharply to Collingwood with a muttered exclamation.
"Good gracious!" he said. "That man Cobcroft was right! There _was_ a
duplicate! And here it is!"
Mrs. Mallathorpe had come nearer. The sight of the half sheet of
foolscap in Eldrick's hands seemed to fascinate her. And the expression
of her face as she came close to his side was so curious that the
solicitor involuntarily folded up the will and hastily put it behind his
back--he had not only seen that expression but had caught sight of Mrs.
Mallathorpe's twitching fingers.
"Is--that--that--another will?" she whispered. "John Mallathorpe's?"
"Precisely the same--another copy--duly signed and witnessed!" answered
Eldrick firmly. "What you foolishly did was done for nothing. And--it's
the most fortunate thing in the world, Mrs. Mallathorpe, that this has
turned up!--most fortunate for you!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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