"It is the truth," said Durham, his color rising. "I can bring forward my clerks who were to witness the new will, and they will state that it was never executed. Sir Simon changed his mind. The estate goes to Sir Bernard Gore, the new baronet, and as the executor of the will, I will take charge of all monies and of the property until he comes forward to claim them." "But you know he is dead," said Julius, clenching his hand. "I know nothing of the sort. He is supposed to be dead, but we must have proof of the death. A production of his body will be sufficient, Mr. Beryl," added Durham, cynically. "I think on your own account you had better offer that reward I spoke of." "You have been playing the fool with me," said Julius, hardly able to speak for passion. "No, I advised you what to do!" "One moment," said a precise man who had not been mentioned in the will. "If young Gore really is dead--which I for one, hope is not the case--who inherits the money?" "There is a codicil to that effect," said Durham, "which I had intended to read when interrupted by Mr. Beryl." He re-opened the parchment. "In it Sir Simon leaves the property to charity with the exception of any legacies. This in the event of Bernard Gore making no will. But the property has been left unreservedly to him, and, should he be alive, he has the power to will it to whomsoever he wishes." "And if he is dead the property goes to a charity." "Yes! I will read the codicil!" and this Durham did to the dismay of the company. Only Miss Berengaria chuckled. She was delighted to see that Beryl had been punished, and smiled when she thought how correct had been her guess when talking to the lawyer. As for Alice, remembering that Bernard was alive and well, she found it hard to contain her satisfaction that he had been fairly dealt with. Even the thought of the crime, under the ban of which he lay, faded for the moment from her mind. Julius, with a certain malignancy, brought it back to her recollection. "Even if Bernard is not dead he cannot inherit as a felon," said he. "Pardon me," interposed the lawyer. "You have yet to prove his guilt." "It was proved at the inquest." "A jury at an inquest has not the right to condemn a man," said Durham, sharply. "If Sir Bernard"--Julius winced at the title--"is alive and comes forward, I shall do my best to prove his innocence." "And in any case," said Miss Berengaria in clear tones, "Mr. Beryl does not benefit." Julius turned on her with fury, and seemed on the point of breaking out into wrathful speech. But his habitual dissimulation came to his aid, and he suppressed himself. More than that, he attempted to smile. "I don't say that I do not feel hurt," he said, with a desperate attempt at cheerfulness. "Sir Simon distinctly named me as his heir, and, moreover, asked Mr. Durham to read the new will in which I was named as such."