on as I
succeeded in fighting my way to the densely crowded court, I took stock
of the various actors in the drama, which I as a spectator was prepared
to enjoy. There were Percival Brooks and Murray his brother, the two
litigants, both good-looking and well dressed, and both striving, by
keeping up a running conversation with their lawyer, to appear
unconcerned and confident of the issue. With Percival Brooks was Henry
Oranmore, the eminent Irish K.C., whilst Walter Hibbert, a rising young
barrister, the son of Wilson Hibbert, appeared for Murray.

"The will of which the latter claimed probate was one dated 1891, and
had been made by Mr. Brooks during a severe illness which threatened to
end his days. This will had been deposited in the hands of Messrs.
Wethered and Hibbert, solicitors to the deceased, and by it Mr. Brooks
left his personalty equally divided between his two sons, but had left
his business entirely to his youngest son, with a charge of L2000 a year
upon it, payable to Percival. You see that Murray Brooks therefore had a
very deep interest in that second will being found null and void.

"Old Mr. Hibbert had very ably instructed his son, and Walter Hibbert's
opening speech was exceedingly clever. He would show, he said, on behalf
of his client, that the will dated February 1st, 1908, could never have
been made by the late Mr. Brooks, as it was absolutely contrary to his
avowed intentions, and that if the late Mr. Brooks did on the day in
question make any fresh will at all, it certainly was _not_ the one
proved by Mr. Percival Brooks, for that was absolutely a forgery from
beginning to end. Mr. Walter Hibbert proposed to call several witnesses
in support of both these points.

"On the other hand, Mr. Henry Oranmore, K.C., very ably and courteously
replied that he too had several witnesses to prove that Mr. Brooks
certainly did make a will on the day in question, and that, whatever his
intentions may have been in the past, he must have modified them on the
day of his death, for the will proved by Mr. Percival Brooks was found
after his death under his pillow, duly signed and witnessed and in every
way legal.

"Then the battle began in sober earnest. There were a great many
witnesses to be called on both sides, their evidence being of more or
less importance--chiefly less. But the interest centred round the
prosaic figure of John O'Neill, the butler at Fitzwilliam Place, who had
been in Mr. Brooks' fami