CHAPTER II
THE QUEST ORDAINED
Mr Collyer's offices were in Pump Court, first floor front. Mr SamuelCollyer was a somewhat short and pursy gentleman of about fifty yearsof age, with a clean-shaven face, and a manner which gave such avarying complexion to the words he used as to cause it sometimes to bevery difficult to make out exactly what it was he meant; an extremelyuseful manner for a solicitor to have. As with alert, swinging strideMr Holland entered, Mr Collyer rose, greeting him with his usualstolid air, as if he had just looked in from across the road, insteadof from the wilds of Africa.
'Good morning, Mr Guy. You're looking very brown.'
'Yes, I--I'm feeling very brown.'
The words seemed to come from him almost before he knew it, on thespur of the moment, as if the presence of a third person lent them aspecial significance. Reclining in the only armchair the roomcontained was a young gentleman of about Mr Holland's own age. He waswell dressed, good looking, very much at his ease, and he regarded MrHolland with a suggestion of amusement which seemed somehow to be verymuch in character.
'In questions of feeling is brown the equivalent of blue?'
Mr Holland's bearing was not so genial as the other's.
'I did not expect to see you here.'
'Nor, my dear Guy, did I expect to see you. I did not even wish to.'
'That I can easily believe.'
'It is Mr Collyer's fault that I am here, not mine. I should have beencontent never to set eyes on you again; and as for being in the sameroom with you--'
He left his sentence unfinished, with a little airy movement of hishand, which seemed to round it off with a sting. He continued tosmile, although Mr Holland regarded him for a moment with eyes whichwere very far from smiling. The newcomer turned to the solicitor.
'I have your letter.'
'I presume, Mr Guy, that you had my letter nearly three months ago.'
'I had it this morning. I only came back from Africa last night.'
'From Africa? I was not aware you had gone so far.'
'Dear Guy is such a gadabout.'
The interpolation came from the young gentleman in the arm-chair. Thesolicitor went on.
'The only address I had was the one in Craven Street. As my letter didnot come back I supposed it had reached you safely; but that, forreasons of your own, you chose to take no notice of it. You know, MrGuy, that in such matters you are a little erratic.'
'I know. You needn't remind me. So my uncle is dead. Of what did hedie?'
'The immediate cause was apoplexy, brought on, it is to be feared, bysomething which happened on the afternoon of his decease.'
The young gentleman in the arm-chair struck in.
'He was thrashed within an inch of his life, and very properly he wasserved.'
'Thrashed! Where? On a flight of steps?'
'On the steps of the Hotel des Anglais at Nice.'
'Good God! I thought I knew the place; of course it was the Hotel desAnglais; it's--it's past believing.'
The solicitor misapprehended the cause of Mr Holland's excitement.
'It does seem almost incredible; none the less it is a lamentablefact.'
The young gentleman put in his word.
'How incredible? The dear man misbehaved himself with another man'swife, as was his invariable custom when he had a chance. The other manthrashed him for it. What could be more natural? or simpler?'
Mr Holland ignored the inquiry.
'What is it, Mr Collyer, which you wish to say to me?'
'It is not so much that I have anything to say to you as that I have aduty to perform. I have to read to you your uncle's will. Hisinstructions were that it was to be read only in the presence of bothhis nephews, his sole remaining relatives.'
'He has probably left all his money to found a hospital for cats, andwished us both to be present, my dear Guy, so that we might enjoy eachother's discomfiture.'
Mr Holland said nothing. Mr Collyer was taking some papers out of ametal box which stood against the wall, and on the front of which waspainted in white letters the name, 'George Burton.' Reseating himselfbehind his table he held up a large white linen envelope, such as isused in England for registered letters.
'I will read you the endorsement which is on it. "This envelope, whichhe told me contained his will, was delivered to me by Mr GeorgeBurton, on the 22nd of June 1899, and was then and there sealed by mein the presence of my two clerks whose names are undersigned." Thenfollow my own signature, and the signatures of the clerks in question,both of whom are still in my employ, Ferdinand Murpeatt and BenjaminDavis. Would either of you gentlemen like to see them?'
'My good Mr Collyer, we don't want to see your clerks. Your clerks besanctified. Why all this form and fuss? Make an end of it. Let's knowif it's cats or dogs Uncle Burton's favoured.'
'And you, Mr Guy, are you content that I should proceed at once to thecontents of this envelope?'
Mr Holland said nothing; he simply nodded. The solicitor, taking apenknife, began to cut open the top of the envelope with a degree ofcare which perhaps erred on the side of overcaution. He addressed themas he did so.
'I may say that, beyond Mr Burton's own statement that it holds hiswill, I have no notion what this envelope contains. I have noknowledge of the purport of the will; Mr Burton never gave me thefaintest hint as to what were his testamentary intentions. You areaware that your uncle was a man who did what he liked, in his own way;and I say this, therefore, in order to give you to understand thatwhatever form the will may take, I am not to be held responsible.'
The young gentleman in the arm-chair laughed.
'My dear Collyer, do cut the cackle, and do let's come to the 'osses.'
Mr Collyer took out from the envelope a single sheet of paper. Withoutfurther preamble he commenced to read what was written on it, in aslow, monotonous, sing-song voice, as if it were something sacredwhich he almost felt it his duty to intone.
'"I, George Burton, of Hyde Park Terrace, London, W., do herebyannounce that this is my last Will and Testament, as written with myown hand on June 17, 1899."
'"I have only two relatives living, viz., my two nephews, HoraceBurton, my brother's son, and Guy Holland, the son of my sister; and,since I love them equally well, I desire to do them equal justice."'
The reading was interrupted by prolonged laughter from the younggentleman in the arm-chair.
'The dear man!' he cried.
Mr Collyer continued.
'"I therefore give and bequeath all that I die possessed of, in realand personal estate, to my nephew, Guy Holland--"'
'Good Lord!' exclaimed the young gentleman in the arm-chair.
Mr Holland's lips might have been closed a little tighter. The lawyerwent on unmoved.
'"Absolutely, to do with as he pleases, on condition that he recoverfrom May Bewicke, the actress, whom he knows, my ruby signet ring,which she obtained from me by means of a trick on the 27th of thislast May. The ring is well known to him, and to Horace, and to mylawyer, Samuel Collyer. The ring is to be delivered to Samuel Collyer,whom I hereby appoint my sole executor, by my nephew, Guy, withinthree months of the day of my death. Should he do so within the periodmentioned, then I do hereby name him as my sole heir and residuarylegatee. In default, however, of such delivery within the time stated,for any cause whatever, then my whole estate, without any deductionwhatever, is to become the absolute property of my other nephew,Horace Burton."
'"Since the chances that Guy will obtain the ring from Miss Bewickeare not very large, that young woman preferring to keep tight hold ofanything she has once laid her hands on, in making this will I amdoing Horace even more than justice."
'"In the improbable case of the delivery of my ruby signet ring by Guyto Samuel Collyer, within the aforementioned three months of mydecease, it is to be held by the said Samuel Collyer, and not to passout of his possession until his death, when it is to be sold, and theproceeds devote
d to form a Society for the Reformation of Actresses."
'"As witness my hand and signature this seventeenth day of June,Eighteen hundred and ninety-nine. GEORGE BURTON."
'"Witnesses--"
'"John Claney, 13 Porchester Terrace, W."
'"Augustus Evans, 83 Belgrave Row, S.W."'
The reading was followed by silence, broken by a question from MrHolland.
'And pray what is the plain English of it all?'
'The will is plain English. You are to obtain a certain ring from acertain lady and deliver it to me within a certain time. If you do soyou are your uncle's heir; if you do not, Mr Horace is.'
'Within three months of his death. He died on the 23rd of February.This is the 19th of May. I have four days in which to get the ring.'
'Apparently that is the case.'
'Supposing this lady refuses to give me the ring when I ask for it,as, so far as I can perceive, she will be perfectly justified indoing.'
'Perfectly!'
The murmur came from Horace.
'How am I to get it from her within four days? Where is Miss Bewickenow?'
'In London. She is acting at the Modern Theatre. I am afraid I amunable to assist you with any advice as to how you are to procure thering should she refuse to hand it over.'
Mr Holland stood up.
'Is that will a good one?'
'You mean in a legal sense. I should say so, perfectly. It is just thesort of will I should have expected your uncle to make. It isdistinctly characteristic of the man.'
'My uncle was a most delightful person. Then, if I do not succeed injockeying this lady out of her property inside four days I'm apauper.'
'At least you will not inherit under your uncle's will.'
As Mr Holland stood with knitted brows his cousin gave him a friendlypat upon the back. Mr Holland whirled round to him in a manner whichwas distinctly not friendly.
'How dare you touch me, sir!'
'My dear Guy! May not a cousin give a cousinly salutation to a cousin?My congratulations, my dear boy. You're sure to be the heir. Youalways were so clever at diddling a woman.'
The blood showed even through Mr Holland's bronzed cheeks; hisclenched fists twitched. The other, however, paid no heed to thesesigns and portents.
'I believe you managed to diddle Miss Bewicke once before, eh, Guy?'He turned upon his heels, with a little movement of his shoulders.'Let's hope you'll succeed the second time as well as I've been givento understand you did the first. Good-bye. Good luck, dear boy.Collyer, I'll look in on you again.'
Mr Horace Burton strolled from the room. Presently Mr Holland followedhim.
'I, also, Mr Collyer, will talk things over when I look in again. Idon't feel equal to the task just now.' He said to himself as he wasgoing down the stairs, 'Nice to have to rob your old sweetheart tokeep yourself out of the gutter. He knew very well there had beenpassages between us; so he set me the dirtiest job to do which hecould think of. The brute! I'd better have stayed in Africa than havecome back to this. I wonder what Letty'll say.'
The solicitor, left alone, leaning back in his chair, stroked his chinwith his hand as if to discover whether it wanted shaving.
'They don't know that Miss May Bewicke is Mr Samuel Collyer's niece. Ifancy that there are only one or two persons who are aware that he hasa niece upon the stage. George Burton certainly was not.'
He smiled as if his own thoughts tickled him.