'On behalf of the surviving brother of the testator,' interposed the
delegate, just as Abel Grimston had cleared his voice to begin, 'I take
leave to apply for a copy of this instrument. It will save a deal of
trouble, if the young lady as represents the testator here has no
objection.'
'You can have as many copies as you like when the will is proved,' said Mr.
Grimston.
'I know that; but supposing as all's right, where's the objection?'
'Just the objection there always is to acting irregular,' replied Mr.
Grimston.
'You don't object to act disobliging, it seems.'
'You can do as I told you,' replied Mr. Grimston.
'Thank you for nothing,' murmured Mr. Sleigh.
And the reading of the will proceeded, while he made elaborate notes of its
contents in his capacious pocket-book.
'I, Austin Alymer Ruthyn Ruthyn, being, I thank God, of sound mind and
perfect recollection,' &c, &c.; and then came a bequest of all his
estates real, chattels real, copyrights, leases, chattels, money, rights,
interests, reversions, powers, plate, pictures, and estates and possessions
whatsoever, to four persons--Lord Ilbury, Mr. Penrose Creswell of Creswell,
Sir William Aylmer, Bart., and Hans Emmanuel Bryerly, Doctor of Medicine,
'to have and to hold,' &c. &c. Whereupon my Cousin Monica ejaculated 'Eh?'
and Doctor Bryerly interposed--
'Four trustees, ma'am. We take little but trouble--you'll see; go on.'
Then it came out that all this multifarious splendour was bequeathed in
trust for me, subject to a bequest of 15,000_l_. to his only brother, Silas
Aylmer Ruthyn, and 3,500_l_. each to the two children of his said brother;
and lest any doubt should arise by reason of his, the testator's decease
as to the continuance of the arrangement by way of lease under which
he enjoyed his present habitation and farm, he left him the use of the
mansion-house and lands of Bartram-Haugh, in the county of Derbyshire, and
of the lands of so-and-so and so-and-so, adjoining thereto, in the said
county, for the term of his natural life, on payment of a rent of 5_s_.
per annum, and subject to the like conditions as to waste, &c., as are
expressed in the said lease.
'By your leave, may I ask is them dispositions all the devises to my
client, which is his only brother, as it seems to me you've seen the will
before?' enquired Mr. Sleigh.
'Nothing more, unless there is something in the codicil,' answered Dr.
Bryerly.
But there was no mention of him in the codicil.
Mr. Sleigh threw himself back in his chair, and sneered, with the end of
his pencil between his teeth. I hope his disappointment was altogether for
his client. Mr. Danvers fancied, he afterwards said, that he had probably
expected legacies which might have involved litigation, or, at all events,
law costs, and perhaps a stewardship; but this was very barren; and Mr.
Danvers also remarked, that the man was a very low practitioner, and
wondered how my uncle Silas could have commissioned such a person to
represent him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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