ERNEST ROGER HALBARD MELTON'S RECORD--Continued,
And now re the remaining one of Sir Geoffrey's children, Roger. He
was the third child and third son, the only daughter, Patience,
having been born twenty years after the last of the four sons.
Concerning Roger, I shall put down all I have heard of him from my
father and grandfather. From my grand-aunt I heard nothing, I was a
very small kid when she died; but I remember seeing her, but only
once. A very tall, handsome woman of a little over thirty, with very
dark hair and light-coloured eyes. I think they were either grey or
blue, but I can't remember which. She looked very proud and haughty,
but I am bound to say that she was very nice to me. I remember
feeling very jealous of Rupert because his mother looked so
distinguished. Rupert was eight years older than me, and I was
afraid he would beat me if I said anything he did not like. So I was
silent except when I forgot to be, and Rupert said very unkindly, and
I think very unfairly, that I was "A sulky little beast." I haven't
forgot that, and I don't mean to. However, it doesn't matter much
what he said or thought. There he is--if he is at all--where no one
can find him, with no money or nothing, for what little he had he
settled when he came of age, on the MacSkelpie. He wanted to give it
to her when his mother died, but father, who was a trustee, refused;
and Uncle Roger, as I call him, who is another, thought the trustees
had no power to allow Rupert to throw away his matrimony, as I called
it, making a joke to father when he called it patrimony. Old Sir
Colin MacSkelpie, who is the third, said he couldn't take any part in
such a permission, as the MacSkelpie was his niece. He is a rude old
man, that. I remember when, not remembering his relationship, I
spoke of the MacSkelpie, he caught me a clip on the ear that sent me
across the room. His Scotch is very broad. I can hear him say, "Hae
some attempt at even Soothern manners, and dinna misca' yer betters,
ye young puddock, or I'll wring yer snoot!" Father was, I could see,
very much offended, but he didn't say anything. He remembered, I
think, that the General is a V.C. man, and was fond of fighting
duels. But to show that the fault was not his, HE wrung MY ear--and
the same ear too! I suppose he thought that was justice! But it's
only right to say that he made up for it afterwards. When the
General had gone he gave me a five-pound note.
I don't think Uncle Roger was very pleased with the way Rupert
behaved about the legacy, for I don't think he ever saw him from that
day to this. Perhaps, of course, it was because Rupert ran away
shortly afterwards; but I shall tell about that when I come to him.
After all, why should my uncle bother about him? He is not a Melton
at all, and I am to be Head of the House--of course, when the Lord
thinks right to take father to Himself! Uncle Roger has tons of
money, and he never married, so if he wants to leave it in the right
direction he needn't have any trouble. He made his money in what he
calls "the Eastern Trade." This, so far as I can gather, takes in
the Levant and all east of it. I know he has what they call in trade
"houses" in all sorts of places--Turkey, and Greece, and all round
them, Morocco, Egypt, and Southern Russia, and the Holy Land; then on
to Persia, India, and all round it; the Chersonese, China, Japan, and
the Pacific Islands. It is not to be expected that we landowners can
know much about trade, but my uncle covers--or alas! I must say
"covered"--a lot of ground, I can tell you. Uncle Roger was a very
grim sort of man, and only that I was brought up to try and be kind
to him I shouldn't ever have dared to speak to him. But when was a
child father and mother--especially mother--forced me to go and see
him and be affectionate to him. He wasn't ever even civil to me,
that I can remember--grumpy old bear! But, then, he never saw Rupert
at all, so that I take it Master R- is out of the running altogether
for testamentary honours. The last time I saw him myself he was
distinctly rude. He treated me as a boy, though I was getting on for
eighteen years of age. I came into his office without knocking; and
without looking up from his desk, where he was writing, he said:
"Get out! Why do you venture to disturb me when I'm busy? Get out,
and be damned to you!" I waited where I was, ready to transfix him
with my eye when he should look up, for I cannot forget that when my
father dies I shall be Head of my House. But when he did there was
no transfixing possible. He said quite coolly:
"Oh, it's you, is it? I thought it was one of my office boys. Sit
down, if you want to see me, and wait till I am ready." So I sat
down and waited. Father always said that I should try to conciliate
and please my uncle. Father is a very shrewd man, and Uncle Roger is
a very rich one.
But I don't think Uncle R- is as shrewd as he thinks he is. He
sometimes makes awful mistakes in business. For instance, some years
ago he bought an enormous estate on the Adriatic, in the country they
call the "Land of Blue Mountains." At least, he says he bought it.
He told father so in confidence. But he didn't show any title-deeds,
and I'm greatly afraid he was "had." A bad job for me that he was,
for father believes he paid an enormous sum for it, and as I am his
natural heir, it reduces his available estate to so much less.
And now about Rupert. As I have said, he ran away when he was about
fourteen, and we did not hear about him for years. When we--or,
rather, my father--did hear of him, it was no good that he heard. He
had gone as a cabin-boy on a sailing ship round the Horn. Then he
joined an exploring party through the centre of Patagonia, and then
another up in Alaska, and a third to the Aleutian Islands. After
that he went through Central America, and then to Western Africa, the
Pacific Islands, India, and a lot of places. We all know the wisdom
of the adage that "A rolling stone gathers no moss"; and certainly,
if there be any value in moss, Cousin Rupert will die a poor man.
Indeed, nothing will stand his idiotic, boastful wastefulness. Look
at the way in which, when he came of age, he made over all his
mother's little fortune to the MacSkelpie! I am sure that, though
Uncle Roger made no comment to my father, who, as Head of our House,
should, of course, have been informed, he was not pleased. My
mother, who has a good fortune in her own right, and has had the
sense to keep it in her own control--as I am to inherit it, and it is
not in the entail, I am therefore quite impartial--I can approve of
her spirited conduct in the matter. We never did think much of
Rupert, anyhow; but now, since he is in the way to be a pauper, and
therefore a dangerous nuisance, we look on him as quite an outsider.
We know what he really is. For my own part, I loathe and despise
him. Just now we are irritated with him, for we are all kept on
tenterhooks regarding my dear Uncle Roger's Will. For Mr. Trent, the
attorney who regulated my dear uncle's affairs and has possession of
the Will, says it is necessary to know where every possible
beneficiary is to be found before making the Will public, so we all
have to wait. It is especially hard on me, who am the natural heir.
It is very thoughtless indeed of Rupert to keep away like that. I
wrote to old MacSkelpie about it, but he didn't seem to understand or
to be at all anxious--he is not the heir! He said that probably
Rupert Sent Leger--he, too, keeps to the old spelling--did not know
of his uncle's death, or he would have taken steps to relieve our
anxiety. Our anxiety, forsooth! We are not anxious; we only wish to
KNOW. And if we--and especially me--who have all the annoyance of
thinking of the detestable and unfair death-duties, are anxious, we
should be so. Well, anyhow, he'll get a properly bitter
disappointment and set down when he does turn up and discovers that
he is a pauper without hope!
To-day we (father and I) had letters from Mr. Trent, telling us that
the whereabouts of "Mr. Rupert Sent Leger" had been discovered, and
that a letter disclosing the fact of poor Uncle Roger's death had
been sent to him. He was at Titicaca when last heard of. So
goodness only knows when he may get the letter, which "asks him to
come home at once, but only gives to him such information about the
Will as has already been given to every member of the testator's
family." And that is nil. I dare say we shall be kept waiting for
months before we get hold of the estate which is ours. It is too
bad!
Letter from Edward Bingham Trent to Ernest Roger Halbard Melton.
176, LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS,
December 28, 1906.
DEAR SIR,
I am glad to be able to inform you that I have just heard by letter
from Mr. Rupert St. Leger that he intended leaving Rio de Janeiro by
the S.S. Amazon, of the Royal Mail Company, on December 15. He
further stated that he would cable just before leaving Rio de
Janeiro, to say on what day the ship was expected to arrive in
London. As all the others possibly interested in the Will of the
late Roger Melton, and whose names are given to me in his
instructions regarding the reading of the Will, have been advised,
and have expressed their intention of being present at that event on
being apprised of the time and place, I now beg to inform you that by
cable message received the date scheduled for arrival at the Port of
London was January 1 prox. I therefore beg to notify you, subject to
postponement due to the non-arrival of the Amazon, the reading of the
Will of the late Roger Melton, Esq., will take place in my office on
Thursday, January 3 prox., at eleven o'clock a.m.
I have the honour to be, sir,
Yours faithfully,
EDWARD BINGHAM TRENT.
TO ERNEST ROGER HALBARD MELTON, ESQ., HUMCROFT, SALOP.
Cable: Rupert Sent Leger to Edward Bingham Trent. Amazon arrives
London January 1. SENT LEGER.
Telegram (per Lloyd's): Rupert Sent Leger to Edward Bingham Trent.
THE LIZARD,
December 31.
Amazon arrives London to-morrow morning. All well.--LEGER.
Telegram: Edward Bingham Trent to Ernest Roger Halbard Mellon.
Rupert Sent Leger arrived. Reading Will takes place as arranged.--
TRENT.
ERNEST ROGER HALBARD MELTON'S RECORD.
January 4, 1907.
The reading of Uncle Roger's Will is over. Father got a duplicate of
Mr. Trent's letter to me, and of the cable and two telegrams pasted
into this Record. We both waited patiently till the third--that is,
we did not say anything. The only impatient member of our family was
my mother. She DID say things, and if old Trent had been here his
ears would have been red. She said what ridiculous nonsense it was
delaying the reading of the Will, and keeping the Heir waiting for
the arrival of an obscure person who wasn't even a member of the
family, inasmuch as he didn't bear the name. I don't think it's
quite respectful to one who is some day to be Head of the House! I
thought father was weakening in his patience when he said: "True, my
dear--true!" and got up and left the room. Some time afterwards when
I passed the library I heard him walking up and down.
Father and I went up to town on the afternoon of Wednesday, January
2. We stayed, of course, at Claridge's, where we always stay when we
go to town. Mother wanted to come, too, but father thought it better
not. She would not agree to stay at home till we both promised to
send her separate telegrams after the reading.
At five minutes to eleven we entered Mr. Trent's office. Father
would not go a moment earlier, as he said it was bad form to seem
eager at any time, but most of all at the reading of a will. It was
a rotten grind, for we had to be walking all over the neighbourhood
for half an hour before it was time, not to be too early.
When we went into the room we found there General Sir Colin MacKelpie
and a big man, very bronzed, whom I took to be Rupert St. Leger--not
a very creditable connection to look at, I thought! He and old
MacKelpie took care to be in time! Rather low, I thought it. Mr.
St. Leger was reading a letter. He had evidently come in but lately,
for though he seemed to be eager about it, he was only at the first
page, and I could see that there were many sheets. He did not look
up when we came in, or till he had finished the letter; and you may
be sure that neither I nor my father (who, as Head of the House,
should have had more respect from him) took the trouble to go to him.
After all, he is a pauper and a wastrel, and he has not the honour of
bearing our Name. The General, however, came forward and greeted us
both cordially. He evidently had forgotten--or pretended to have--
the discourteous way he once treated me, for he spoke to me quite in
a friendly way--I thought more warmly than he did to father. I was
pleased to be spoken to so nicely, for, after all, whatever his
manners may be, he is a distinguished man--has won the V.C. and a
Baronetcy. He got the latter not long ago, after the Frontier War in
India. I was not, however, led away into cordiality myself. I had
not forgotten his rudeness, and I thought that he might be sucking up
to me. I knew that when I had my dear Uncle Roger's many millions I
should be a rather important person; and, of course, he knew it too.
So I got even with him for his former impudence. When he held out
his hand I put one finger in it, and said, "How do?" He got very red
and turned away. Father and he had ended by glaring at each other,
so neither of us was sorry to be done with him. All the time Mr. St.
Leger did not seem to see or hear anything, but went on reading his
letter. I thought the old MacSkelpie was going to bring him into the
matter between us, for as he turned away I heard him say something
under his breath. It sounded like "Help!" but Mr. S-- did not hear.
He certainly no notice of it.
As the MacS-- and Mr. S-- sat quite silent, neither looking at us,
and as father was sitting on the other side of the room with his chin
in his hand, and as I wanted to show that I was indifferent to the
two S's, I took out this notebook, and went on with the Record,
bringing it up to this moment.
THE RECORD--Continued.
When I had finished writing I looked over at Rupert.
When he saw us, he jumped up and went over to father and shook his
hand quite warmly. Father took him very coolly. Rupert, however,
did not seem to see it, but came towards me heartily. I happened to
be doing something else at the moment, and at first I did not see his
hand; but just as I was looking at it the clock struck eleven.
Whilst it was striking Mr. Trent came into the room. Close behind
him came his clerk, carrying a locked tin box. There were two other
men also. He bowed to us all in turn, beginning with me. I was
standing opposite the door; the others were scattered about. Father
sat still, but Sir Colin and Mr. St. Leger rose. Mr. Trent not did
shake hands with any of us--not even me. Nothing but his respectful
bow. That is the etiquette for an attorney, I understand, on such
formal occasions.
He sat down at the end of the big table in the centre of the room,
and asked us to sit round. Father, of course, as Head of the Family,
took the seat at his right hand. Sir Colin and St. Leger went to the
other side, the former taking the seat next to the attorney. The
General knows, of course, that a Baronet takes precedence at a
ceremony. I may be a Baronet some day myself, and have to know these
things.
The clerk took the key which his master handed to him, opened the tin
box, and took from it a bundle of papers tied with red tape. This he
placed before the attorney, and put the empty box behind him on the
floor. Then he and the other man sat at the far end of the table;
the latter took out a big notebook and several pencils, and put them
before him. He was evidently a shorthand-writer. Mr. Trent removed
the tape from the bundle of papers, which he placed a little distance
in front of him. He took a sealed envelope from the top, broke the
seal, opened the envelope, and from it took a parchment, in the folds
of which were some sealed envelopes, which he laid in a heap in front
of the other paper. Then he unfolded the parchment, and laid it
before him with the outside page up. He fixed his glasses, and said:
"Gentlemen, the sealed envelope which you have seen me open is
endorsed 'My Last Will and Testament--ROGER MELTON, June, 1906.'
This document"--holding it up--"is as follows:
"'I Roger Melton of Openshaw Grange in the County of Dorset; of
number one hundred and twenty-three Berkeley Square London; and of
the Castle of Vissarion in the Land of the Blue Mountains, being of
sound mind do make this my Last Will and Testament on this day Monday
the eleventh day of the month of June in the year of Our Lord one
thousand nine hundred and six at the office of my old friend and
Attorney Edward Bingham Trent in number one hundred and seventy-six
Lincoln's Inn Fields London hereby revoking all other wills that I
may have formerly made and giving this as my sole and last Will
making dispositions of my property as follows:
"'1. To my kinsman and nephew Ernest Halbard Melton Esquire, justice
of the Peace, Humcroft the County of Salop, for his sole use and
benefit the sum of twenty thousand pounds sterling free of all Duties
Taxes and charges whatever to be paid out of my Five per centum Bonds
of the City of Montreal, Canada.
"'2. To my respected friend and colleague as co-trustee to the Will
of my late sister Patience late widow of the late Captain Rupert Sent
Leger who predeceased her, Major-General Sir Colin Alexander
MacKelpie, Baronet, holder of the Victoria Cross, Knight Commander of
the Order of the Bath, of Croom in the county of Ross Scotland a sum
of Twenty thousand pounds sterling free of all Taxes and charges
whatsoever; to be paid out of my Five per centum Bonds of the City of
Toronto, Canada.
"'3. To Miss Janet MacKelpie presently residing at Croom in the
County of Ross Scotland the sum of Twenty thousand pounds sterling
free of all Duties Taxes and Charges whatsoever, to be paid out of my
Five per centum Bonds of the London County Council.
"'4. To the various persons charities and Trustees named in the
schedule attached to this Will and marked A. the various sums
mentioned therein, all free of Duties and Taxes and charges
whatsoever.'"
Here Mr. Trent read out the list here following, and announced for
our immediate understanding of the situation the total amount as two
hundred and fifty thousand pounds. Many of the beneficiaries were
old friends, comrades, dependents, and servants, some of them being
left quite large sums of money and specific objects, such as curios
and pictures.
"'5. To my kinsman and nephew Ernest Roger Halbard Melton presently
living in the house of his father at Humcroft Salop the sum of Ten
thousand pounds sterling.
"'6. To my old and valued friend Edward Bingham Trent of one hundred
and seventy-six Lincoln's Inn Fields sum of Twenty thousand pounds
sterling free from all Duties Taxes and Charges whatsoever to be paid
out of my Five per centum Bonds of the city of Manchester England.
"'7. To my dear nephew Rupert Sent Leger only son of my dear sister
Patience Melton by her marriage with Captain Rupert Sent Leger the
sum of one thousand pounds sterling. I also bequeath to the said
Rupert Sent Leger a further sum conditional upon his acceptance of
the terms of a letter addressed to him marked B, and left in the
custody of the above Edward Bingham Trent and which letter is an
integral part of this my Will. In case of the non-acceptance of the
conditions of such letter, I devise and bequeath the whole of the
sums and properties reserved therein to the executors herein
appointed Colin Alexander MacKelpie and Edward Bingham Trent in trust
to distribute the same in accordance with the terms of the letter in
the present custody of Edward Bingham Trent marked C, and now
deposited sealed with my seal in the sealed envelope containing my
last Will to be kept in the custody of the said Edward Bingham Trent
and which said letter C is also an integral part of my Will. And in
case any doubt should arise as to my ultimate intention as to the
disposal of my property the above-mentioned Executors are to have
full power to arrange and dispose all such matters as may seem best
to them without further appeal. And if any beneficiary under this
Will shall challenge the same or any part of it, or dispute the
validity thereof, he shall forfeit to the general estate the bequest
made herein to him, and any such bequest shall cease and be void to
all intents and purposes whatsoever.
"'8. For proper compliance with laws and duties connected with
testamentary proceedings and to keep my secret trusts secret I direct
my Executors to pay all Death, Estate, Settlement, Legacy,
Succession, or other duties charges impositions and assessments
whatever on the residue of my estate beyond the bequests already
named, at the scale charged in the case of most distant relatives or
strangers in blood.
"'9. I hereby appoint as my Executors Major-General Sir Colin
Alexander MacKelpie, Baronet, of Croom in the County of Ross, and
Edward Bingham Trent Attorney at Law of one hundred and seventy-six
Lincoln's Inn Fields London West Central with full power to exercise
their discretion in any circumstance which may arise in the carrying
out my wishes as expressed in this Will. As reward for their
services in this capacity as Executors they are to receive each out
of the general estate a sum of one hundred thousand pounds sterling
free of all Duties and impositions whatsoever.
"12. The two Memoranda contained in the letters marked B and C are
Integral Parts of this my Last Will are ultimately at the Probate of
the Will to be taken as Clauses 10 and 11 of it. The envelopes are
marked B and C on both envelope and contents and the contents of each
is headed thus: B to be read as Clause 10 of my Will and the other C
to be read as Clause 11 of my Will.
"13. Should either of the above-mentioned Executors die before the
completion of the above year and a half from the date of the Reading
of my Will or before the Conditions rehearsed in Letter C the
remaining Executor shall have all and several the Rights and Duties
entrusted by my Will to both. And if both Executors should die then
the matter of interpretation and execution of all matters in
connection with this my Last Will shall rest with the Lord Chancellor
of England for the time being or with whomsoever he may appoint for
the purpose.
"'This my Last Will is given by me on the first day of January in the
year of Our Lord one thousand nine hundred and seven.
"'ROGER MELTON.
"We Andrew Rossiter and John Colson here in the presence of each
other and of the Testator have seen the Testator Roger Melton sign
and seal this document. In witness thereof we hereby set our names
"'ANDREW ROSSITER clerk of 9 Primrose Avenue London W.C.
"'JOHN COLSON caretaker of 176 Lincoln's Inn Fields and Verger of St.
Tabitha's Church Clerkenwell London.'"
When Mr. Trent had finished the reading he put all the papers
together, and tied them up in a bundle again with the red tape.
Holding the bundle in his hand, he stood up, saying as he did so:
"That is all, gentlemen, unless any of you wish to ask me any
questions; in which case I shall answer, of course, to the best of my
power. I shall ask you, Sir Colin, to remain with me, as we have to
deal with some matters, or to arrange a time when we may meet to do
so. And you also, Mr. Sent Leger, as there is this letter to submit
to you. It is necessary that you should open it in the presence of
the executors, but there is no necessity that anyone else should be
present."
The first to speak was my father. Of course, as a county gentleman
of position and estate, who is sometimes asked to take the chair at
Sessions--of course, when there is not anyone with a title present--
he found himself under the duty of expressing himself first. Old
MacKelpie has superior rank; but this was a family affair, in which
my father is Head of the House, whilst old MacKelpie is only an
outsider brought into it--and then only to the distaff side, by the
wife of a younger brother of the man who married into our family.
Father spoke with the same look on his face as when he asks important
questions of witnesses at Quarter Sessions.
"I should like some points elucidated." The attorney bowed (he gets
his 120 thou', any way, so he can afford to be oily--suave, I suppose
he would call it); so father looked at a slip of paper in his hand
and asked:
"How much is the amount of the whole estate?"
The attorney answered quickly, and I thought rather rudely. He was
red in the face, and didn't bow this time; I suppose a man of his
class hasn'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
would not if I could."
"Is it a million?" said father again. He was angry this time, and
even redder than the old attorney. The attorney said in answer, very
quietly this time:
"Ah, that's cross-examining. Let me say, sir, that no one can know
that until the accountants to be appointed for the purpose have
examined the affairs of the testator up to date."
Mr. Rupert St. Leger, who was looking all this time angrier than even
the attorney or my father--though at what he had to be angry about I
can't imagine--struck his fist on the table and rose up as if to
speak, but as he 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 on them. I didn't think of this part any more at
the time, for father asked another question which interested me much:
"May I ask why the other matters of the Will are not shown to us?"
The attorney wiped his spectacles carefully with a big silk bandanna
handkerchief before he answered:
"Simply because each of the two letters marked 'B' and 'C' is
enclosed with instructions regarding their opening and the keeping
secret of their contents. I shall call your attention to the fact
that both envelopes are sealed, and that the testator and both
witnesses have signed their names across the flap of each envelope.
I shall read them. The letter marked '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 thus
endorsed:
"'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 it
carefully in his pocket. Then he took the other letter in his hand,
and stood 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 of the 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 to
perform some sort of prestidigitation--it was very theatrical and
ridiculous--then, his wrists being quite bare, he opened the envelope
and took out the letter. We all saw it quite well. It was folded
with the first page outward, and on the top was written a line just
as the attorney said. In obedience to a request from the attorney,
he laid both letter and envelope on the table in front of him. The
clerk then rose up, and, after handing a piece of paper to the
attorney, went back to his seat. Mr. Trent, having written something
on the paper, asked us all who were present, even the clerk and the
shorthand man, to look at the memorandum on the letter and what was
written on the envelope, and to sign the paper, which ran:
"We the signatories of this paper hereby declare that we have seen
the sealed letter marked B and enclosed in the Will of Roger Melton
opened in the presence of us all including Mr. Edward Bingham Trent
and Sir Colin Alexander MacKelpie and we declare that the paper
therein contained was headed 'B. To be read as clause ten of my
Will' and that there were no other contents in the envelope. In
attestation of which we in the presence 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 by a clerk for whom the clerk in the room called. Father
examined the envelope all over very carefully, and also the
memorandum at top of the paper. 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 an envelope. Before closing it he
passed it round, and we all saw that it had not been tampered with.
Father took it out and read it, and then put it 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 seal it with his own
seal. He did so. Then he and MacKelpie sealed it also with their
own seals, Then he put it in another envelope, which he sealed
himself, and he and MacKelpie signed it across the flap.
Then father stood up, and so did I. So did the two men--the clerk
and the shorthand writer. Father did not say a word till we got out
into the street. We walked along, and presently we passed an open
gate into the fields. He turned back, saying to me:
"Come in here. There is no one about, and we can be quiet. I want
to speak to you." When we sat down on a seat with none other near
it, father said:
"You are a student of the law. What does all that mean?" I thought
it a good 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
with a beggarly ten thousand, and I with twenty. But what is, or
will be, the effect of those secret trusts?"
"Oh, that," I said, "will, I dare say, be all right. Uncle Roger
evidently did not intend the older generation to benefit too much by
his death. But he only gave Rupert St. Leger one thousand pounds,
whilst he gave 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
was to 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 those
enormous sums to Trent and old MacKelpie. They seem out of all
proportion as executors' fees, unless--"
"Unless what, father?"
"Unless the fortune he has left is an enormous one. That is why I
asked."
"And that," I laughed, "is why he refused to answer."
"Why, Ernest, it must run into big figures."
"Right-ho, father. The death-duties will be annoying. What a
beastly swindle the death-duties are! Why, I shall suffer even on
your own little estate . . . "
"That will do!" he said curtly. Father is so ridiculously touchy.
One would think he expects to live for ever. Presently he spoke
again:
"I wonder what are the conditions of that trust. They are as
important--almost--as the amount of the bequest--whatever it is. By
the way, there seems to be no mention in the will of a residuary
legatee. Ernest, my boy, we may have to fight over that."
"How do you make that out, father?" I asked. He had been very rude
over the matter of the death-duties of his own estate, though it is
entailed and I MUST inherit. So I determined to let him see that I
know a good deal more than he does--of law, at any rate. "I fear
that when we come to look into it closely that dog won't fight. In
the first place, that may be all arranged in the letter to St. Leger,
which is a part of the Will. And if that letter should be
inoperative by his refusal of the conditions (whatever they may be),
then the letter to the attorney begins to work. What it is we don't
know, and perhaps even he doesn't--I looked at it as well as I could-
-and we law men are trained to observation. But even if the
instructions mentioned as being in Letter C fail, then the corpus of
the Will gives full power to Trent to act just as he darn pleases.
He can give the whole thing to himself if he likes, and no one can
say a word. In fact, he is himself the final court of appeal."
"H'm!" said father to himself. "It is a queer kind of will, I take
it, that can override the Court of Chancery. We shall perhaps have
to try it before we are done with this!" With that he rose, and we
walked home together--without saying another word.
My mother was very inquisitive about the whole thing--women always
are. Father and I between us told her all it was necessary for her
to know. I think we were both afraid that, woman-like, she would
make trouble for us by saying or doing something injudicious.
Indeed, she manifested such hostility towards Rupert St. Leger that
it is quite on the cards that she may try to injure him in some way.
So when father said that he would have to go out shortly again, as he
wished to consult his solicitor, I jumped up and said I would go with
him, as I, too, should take advice as to how I stood in the matter.
