By long practice
this worthy person could always, at a moment's notice, assume the
appearance of one who was weeping with his client.

"My dear lady!" he murmured. "My dear lady! This is a terrible time for
you."

She started. She feared that something had come out.

"In the moment of bereavement, too, to think of business."

"I have brought you," she replied curtly, "my husband's--my late
husband's--will."

"Thank you. With your permission--though it may detain your ladyship--I
will read it. Humph! it is short and to the point. This will certainly
give us little trouble. I fear, however, that, besides the insurances,
your ladyship will not receive much."

"Nothing. My husband was always a poor man, as you know. At the time of
his death he left a small sum of money only. I am, as a matter of fact,
greatly inconvenienced."

"Your ladyship shall be inconvenienced no longer. You must draw upon
us. As regards Lord Harry's death, we are informed by Dr. Vimpany, who
seems to have been his friend as well as his medical adviser--"

"Dr. Vimpany had been living with him for some time."

--"that he had a somewhat protracted illness?"

"I was away from my husband. I was staying here in London--on
business--for some time before his death. I was not even aware that he
was in any danger. When I hurried back to Passy I was too late. My
husband was--was already buried."

"It was most unfortunate. And the fact that his lordship was not on
speaking terms with the members of his own family--pray understand that
I am not expressing any opinion on the case--but this fact seems to
render his end more unhappy."

"He had Dr. Vimpany," said Iris, in a tone which suggested to the
lawyer jealousy or dislike of the doctor.

"Well," he said, "it remains to prove the will and to make our claims
against the Insurance Office. I have the policy here. His lordship was
insured in the Royal Unicorn Life Insurance Company for the sum
of 15,000 pounds. We must not expect to have this large claim satisfied
quite immediately. Perhaps the office will take three months to settle.
But, as I said before, your ladyship can draw upon us."

"You are certain that the Company will pay?"

"Assuredly. Why not? They must pay."

"Oh! I thought that perhaps so large a sum--"

"My dear Madam"--the man who administered so much real and personal
property smiled--"fifteen thousand pounds is not what we call a very
large sum. Why, if an Insurance Company