Part 27 (2/2)
”What name was that you said?”
”Why, man, what's the matter now? I'm wondering whether the sucking-pig's mounted to your head instead of descending to your stomach. David, you're easily upset these days. Pick up your cigar, it's burning a hole in my floor covering.”
”d.a.m.n the cigar!”
”And welcome! It's not that I mind. What I object to is your cigar d.a.m.ning my carpet. Pick it up at once, sir.”
”You're fussy about your old carpet.”
”Old carpet! it cost me a guinea a yard not twelve months since.”
”You're wasteful with your money.”
”I am, when I spend it entertaining such as you.”
”What's the name of the man you say that woman married?”
”Gregory Lamb.”
”It's past believing!”
”Is it? I haven't found it so.”
”That's because you're walking in darkness. Do you know that the youngster Margaret's plighted to is private secretary to Mrs.
Gregory Lamb?”
”Is he? Then I should say that that's presumptive evidence that he's not bad looking. She has an eye for a good-looking man.”
”Gregory Lamb was staying at Pitmuir when she was at Cuthbert Grahame's, calling herself his wife. A half-bred, ill-conditioned young scamp he was.”
”I should imagine that Mr. Lamb was not born in the caste of Vere de Vere.”
”Were they acquainted then? What was there between them? How come they to be married now?--he without a penny, to my knowledge, she with all that money. She'd not marry such a creature as he was--for love, that I'll swear. They were birds of a feather, only he was more fool than knave, and she more knave than fool.”
”That about describes them now--if a lawyer may say as much--under privilege.”
”Andrew, can you keep a still tongue?”
”If I couldn't I shouldn't be sitting here.”
”I've always had a suspicion that there was something wrong about that will.”
”Do you mean the one under which she inherits? You needn't confine yourself to suspicion upon that point--it's about as wrong as it could be. If there had been substantial opposition she'd have found it hard to bring it in.”
”I'm not meaning it in your sense. I know that Grahame signed it in the presence of those two daft la.s.sies; but I don't believe that he knew what he was signing, although the evidence is all the other way. I've kept my doubts to myself until this moment, and even now I can't tell you just why I don't believe it--but I don't.”
”Quite possibly you're right, but you can't prove it.”
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