It means that there will be legal proceedings," groaned Mr. Tertius.
"Long, tedious, most annoying and trying proceedings! Perhaps a trial--we
may have to go to court and give evidence. I dread it!--I am, as I said,
so used to a life of ease and freedom from anxiety that anything of this
sort distresses me unspeakably. I fear I am degenerating into cowardice!"

"Nonsense!" said Peggie. "It is merely that this sort of thing is
disturbing. And we are not going to be afraid of Barthorpe. Barthorpe is
very foolish. I meant--always have meant, ever since I heard about the
will--to share with him, for there's no law against that. But if
Barthorpe wants to upset the will altogether and claim everything, I
shall fight him. And if I win--as I suppose I shall--I shall make him do
penance pretty heavily before he's forgiven. However, that's all in the
future. What I don't understand about the present is--how can that will
be upset? Mr. Halfpenny says it's duly and properly executed, witnessed,
and so on--how can Barthorpe object to it?"

Mr. Tertius put down his cup and rose.

"Your cousin, Barthorpe, my dear, is, I regret to say, a deep man," he
replied. "He has some scheme in his head. This," he went on, picking up
the telegram and placing it in his pocket, "this is the first step in
that scheme. Well, it is perhaps a relief to know that he has taken it:
we shall now know where we are and what has to be done."

"Quite so," said Peggie. "But there is another matter, Mr. Tertius,
which seems to be forgotten in this of the will. Pray, what is Barthorpe
doing, what is anybody doing, about solving the mystery of my uncle's
death? Everybody says he was murdered--who is doing anything to find the
murderer?"

Mr. Tertius, who had advanced as far as the door on his way out of the
room, came back to Peggie's side in a fashion suggestive of deep
mystery, walking on the tips of his toes and putting a finger to his
lips as he drew near his chair.

"My dear!" he said, bending down to her and speaking in a tone fully as
indicative of mystery as his tip-toe movement, "a great deal is being
done--but in the strictest secrecy! Most important investigations, my
dear!--the police, the detective police, you know. The word at
present--to put it into one word, vulgar, but expressive--the word is
'Mum'! Silence, my dear--the policy of the mole--underground working,
you know. From what I am aware of, and from what our good friend
Halfpenny tells m