rtius. "He can't!"

"He can--if he wishes," replied Mr. Halfpenny, "though at present I don't
know on what possible grounds. But, if he does, he can at once enter a
caveat in the Probate Registry. The effect of that--supposing he does
it--will be that when I take the will to be proved, progress will be
stopped. Very well--I shall then, following the ordinary practice, issue
and serve upon Barthorpe Herapath a document technically known as a
'warning.' On service of this warning, Barthorpe, if he insists upon his
opposition, must enter an appearance. There will then be an opportunity
for debate and attempt at agreement between him and ourselves. If that
fails, or does not take place, I shall then issue a writ to establish the
will. And that being done, why, then, my dear sir, the proceedings--ah,
the proceedings would follow--substantially--the--er--usual course of
litigation in this country."

"And that," asked Mr. Tertius, deeply interested and wholly innocent,
"that would be----?"

"Well, there are two parties in this case--supposed case," continued Mr.
Halfpenny, "Barthorpe Herapath, Margaret Wynne. After the issue of the
writ I have just spoken of, each party would put in his or her pleas,
and the matter would ultimately go to trial in the Probate Division of
the High Court, most likely before a judge and a special jury."

"And how long would all this take?" asked Mr. Tertius.

"Ah!--um!" replied Mr. Halfpenny, tapping the tips of his gloves
together. "That, my dear sir, is a somewhat difficult question to
answer. I believe that all readers of the newspapers are aware that our
Law Courts are somewhat congested--the cause lists are very full. The
time which must elapse before a case can actually come to trial varies,
my dear Tertius, varies enormously. But if--as in the matter we are
supposing would probably be the case--if all the parties concerned were
particularly anxious to have the case disposed of without delay, the
trial might be arrived at within three or four months--that is, my dear
sir, if the Long Vacation did not intervene. But--speaking generally--a
better, more usual, more probable estimate would be, say six, seven,
eight, or nine months."

"So long?" exclaimed Mr. Tertius. "I thought that justice was neither
denied, sold, nor delayed!"

"Justice is never denied, my good friend, nor is it sold," replied Mr.
Halfpenny, oracularly. "As to delay, ah, well, you know, if people will
be litigants--an