r pocket?"

"You do."

"Is it a copy of the will?" he asked.

I answered "yes," and added that I had full permission to show it to
him.

"What did I tell you?" exclaimed Jervis. "Didn't I say that he would
get the copy for us if it existed?"

"We admit the excellence of your prognosis," said Thorndyke, "but there
is no need to be boastful. Have you read through the document,
Berkeley?"

"No, I haven't taken it out of the envelope."

"Then it will be equally new to us all, and we shall see if it tallies
with your description."

He placed three easy-chairs at a convenient distance from the light,
and Jervis, watching him with a smile, remarked:

"Now Thorndyke is going to enjoy himself. To him, a perfectly
unintelligible will is a thing of beauty and a joy for ever; especially
if associated with some kind of recondite knavery."

"I don't know," said I, "that this will is particularly unintelligible.
The mischief seems to be that it is rather too intelligible. However,
here it is," and I handed it over to Thorndyke.

"I suppose that we can depend on this copy," said the latter, as he
drew out the document and glanced at it. "Oh, yes," he added, "I see
it is copied by Godfrey Bellingham, compared with the original and
certified correct. In that case I will get you to read it out slowly,
Jervis, and I will make a rough copy for reference. Let us make
ourselves comfortable and light our pipes before we begin."

He provided himself with a writing-pad, and, when we had seated
ourselves and got our pipes well alight, Jervis opened the document,
and with a premonitory "hem!" commenced the reading.

"In the name of God Amen. This is the last will and testament of me
John Bellingham of number 141 Queen Square in the parish of St. George
Bloomsbury London in the county of Middlesex Gentleman made this
twenty-first day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and ninety-two.

"1. I give and bequeath unto Arthur Jellicoe of number 184 New Square
Lincoln's Inn London in the county of Middlesex Attorney-at-law the
whole of my collection of seals and scarabs and those in my cabinets
marked A, B, and D together with the contents thereof and the sum of
two thousand pounds sterling free of legacy duty.

"Unto the trustees of the British Museum the residue of my collection
of antiquities.

"Unto my cousin George Hurst of the Poplars Eltham in the county of
Kent the sum of five thousand p