The Lady of the Shroud, Bram Stoker [most life changing books .txt] 📗

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.