The Lady of the Shroud

"How much is the amount of the whole estate?"

The attorney answered quickly, and I thought rather rudely. He was redin the face, and didn't bow this time; I suppose a man of his classhasn't more than a very limited stock of manners:

"That, sir, I am not at liberty to tell you. And I may say that I wouldnot if I could."

"Is it a million?" said father again. He was angry this time, and evenredder than the old attorney. The attorney said in answer, very quietlythis time:

"Ah, that's cross-examining. Let me say, sir, that no one can know thatuntil the accountants to be appointed for the purpose have examined theaffairs of the testator up to date."

Mr. Rupert St. Leger, who was looking all this time angrier than even theattorney or my father--though at what he had to be angry about I can'timagine--struck his fist on the table and rose up as if to speak, but ashe caught sight of both old MacKelpie and the attorney he sat down again._Mem._--Those three seem to agree too well. I must keep a sharp eye onthem. I didn't think of this part any more at the time, for father askedanother question which interested me much:

"May I ask why the other matters of the Will are not shown to us?" Theattorney wiped his spectacles carefully with a big silk bandannahandkerchief before he answered:

"Simply because each of the two letters marked 'B' and 'C' is enclosedwith instructions regarding their opening and the keeping secret of theircontents. I shall call your attention to the fact that both envelopesare sealed, and that the testator and both witnesses have signed theirnames across the flap of each envelope. I shall read them. The lettermarked 'B,' directed to 'Rupert Sent Leger,' is thus endorsed:

"'This letter is to be given to Rupert Sent Leger by the Trustees and is to be opened by him in their presence. He is to take such copy or make such notes as he may wish and is then to hand the letter with envelope to the Executors who are at once to read it, each of them being entitled to make copy or notes if desirous of so doing. The letter is then to be replaced in its envelope and letter and envelope are to be placed in another envelope to be endorsed on outside as to its contents and to be signed across the flap by both the Executors and by the said Rupert Sent Leger.

"'(Signed) ROGER MELTON 1/6/'06.

"The letter marked 'C,' directed to 'Edward Bingham Trent,' is thusendorsed:

"'This letter directed to Edward Bingham Trent is to be kept by him unopened for a term of two years after the reading of my Last Will unless said period is earlier terminated by either the acceptance or refusal of Rupert Sent Leger to accept the conditions mentioned in my letter to him marked 'B' which he is to receive and read in the presence of my Executors at the same meeting as but subsequent to the Reading of the clauses (except those to be ultimately numbers ten and eleven) of my Last Will. This letter contains instructions as to what both the Executors and the said Rupert Sent Leger are to do when such acceptance or refusal of the said Rupert Sent Leger has been made known, or if he omit or refuse to make any such acceptance or refusal, at the end of two years next after my decease.

"'(Signed) ROGER MELTON 1/6/'06.'"

When the attorney had finished reading the last letter he put itcarefully in his pocket. Then he took the other letter in his hand, andstood up. "Mr. Rupert Sent Leger," he said, "please to open this letter,and in such a way that all present may see that the memorandum at top ofthe contents is given as--

"'B. To be read as clause ten of my Will.'"

St. Leger rolled up his sleeves and cuffs just as if he was going toperform some sort of prestidigitation--it was very theatrical andridiculous--then, his wrists being quite bare, he opened the envelope andtook out the letter. We all saw it quite well. It was folded with thefirst page outward, and on the top was written a line just as theattorney said. In obedience to a request from the attorney, he laid bothletter and envelope on the table in front of him. The clerk then roseup, and, after handing a piece of paper to the attorney, went back to hisseat. Mr. Trent, having written something on the paper, asked us all whowere present, even the clerk and the shorthand man, to look at thememorandum on the letter and what was written on the envelope, and tosign the paper, which ran:

"We the signatories of this paper hereby declare that we have seen thesealed letter marked B and enclosed in the Will of Roger Melton opened inthe presence of us all including Mr. Edward Bingham Trent and Sir ColinAlexander MacKelpie and we declare that the paper therein contained washeaded 'B. To be read as clause ten of my Will' and that there were noother contents in the envelope. In attestation of which we in thepresence of each other append our signatures."

The attorney motioned to my father to begin. Father is a cautious man,and he asked for a magnifying-glass, which was shortly brought to him bya clerk for whom the clerk in the room called. Father examined theenvelope all over very carefully, and also the memorandum at top of thepaper. Then, without a word, he signed the paper. Father is a just man.Then we all signed. The attorney folded the paper and put it in anenvelope. Before closing it he passed it round, and we all saw that ithad not been tampered with. Father took it out and read it, and then putit back. Then the attorney asked us all to sign it across the flap,which we did. Then he put the sealing-wax on it and asked father to sealit with his own seal. He did so. Then he and MacKelpie sealed it alsowith their own seals, Then he put it in another envelope, which he sealedhimself, and he and MacKelpie signed it across the flap.

Then father stood up, and so did I. So did the two men--the clerk andthe shorthand writer. Father did not say a word till we got out into thestreet. We walked along, and presently we passed an open gate into thefields. He turned back, saying to me:

"Come in here. There is no one about, and we can be quiet. I want tospeak to you." When we sat down on a seat with none other near it,f

ather said:

"You are a student of the law. What does all that mean?" I thought it agood occasion for an epigram, so I said one word:

"Bilk!"

"H'm!" said father; "that is so far as you and I are concerned. You witha beggarly ten thousand, and I with twenty. But what is, or will be, theeffect of those secret trusts?"

"Oh, that," I said, "will, I dare say, be all right. Uncle Rogerevidently did not intend the older generation to benefit too much by hisdeath. But he only gave Rupert St. Leger one thousand pounds, whilst hegave me ten. That looks as if he had more regard for the direct line.Of course--" Father interrupted me:

"But what was the meaning of a further sum?"

"I don't know, father. There was evidently some condition which he wasto fulfil; but he evidently didn't expect that he would. Why, otherwise,did he leave a second trust to Mr. Trent?"

"True!" said father. Then he went on: "I wonder why he left thoseenormous sums to Trent and old MacKelpie. They seem out of allproportion as executors' fees, unless--"

"Unless what, father?"

"Unless the fortune he has left is an enormous one. That is why Iasked."