, "it's
treating the woman like a mere adventuress, you know--"

"That's precisely what Mrs. Crosby is, my dear," answered Sir Adam
calmly. "The fact that she comes of decent people doesn't alter the case
in the least. Nor the fact that she has one rich husband, and wishes to
get another instead. I say that her husband is rich, but I'm very sure
he has ruined himself in the last two years, and that she knows it. She
is not the woman to leave him as long as he has money, for he lets her
do anything she pleases, and pays her well to leave him alone. But he
has got into trouble--and rats leave a sinking ship, you know. You may
say that I'm cynical, my dear, but I think you'll find that I'm telling
you the facts as they are."

"It seems an awful insult to the woman to send her a copy of your will,"
said Lady Johnstone.

"It's an awful insult to you when she tries to get rid of her husband to
marry your only son, my dear."

"Oh--but he'd never marry her!"

"I'm not sure. If he thought it would be dishonourable not to marry her,
he'd be quite capable of doing it, and of blowing out his brains
afterwards."

"That wouldn't improve her position," observed the practical Lady
Johnstone.

"She'd be the widow of an honest man, instead of the wife of a
blackguard," said Sir Adam. "However, I'm doing this on my own
responsibility. What I want is that you should witness the will."

"And let Mrs. Crosby think I made you do this? No--"

"Nonsense. I sha'n't copy the signatures--"

"Then why do you need them at all?"

"I'm not going to write to her that I've made a will, if I haven't,"
answered Sir Adam. "A will isn't a will unless it's witnessed. I'm not
going to lie about it, just to frighten her. So I want you and Mrs.
Bowring to witness it."

"Mrs. Bowring?"

"Yes--there are no men here, and Brook can't be a witness, because he's
interested. You and Mrs. Bowring will do very well. But there's another
thing--rather an extraordinary thing--and I won't let you sign with her
until you know it. It's not a very easy thing to tell you, my dear."

Lady Johnstone shifted her fat hands and folded them again, and her
frank blue eyes gazed at her husband for a moment.

"I can guess," she said, with a good-natured smile. "You told me you
were old friends--I suppose you were in love with her somewhere!" She
laughed and shook her head. "I don't mind," she added. "It's one more,
that's all--one that I didn't know of. She's a very