ing himself to believe that
this was law. And then as to paraphernalia! Up to this moment, though
he had been called upon to arrange great dealings in reference to
widows, he had never as yet heard of a claim made by a widow for
paraphernalia. But then the widows with whom he had been called upon
to deal, had been ladies quite content to accept the good things
settled upon them by the liberal prudence of their friends and
husbands,--not greedy, blood-sucking harpies such as this Lady
Eustace. It was quite terrible to Mr. Camperdown that one of his
clients should have fallen into such a pit. Mors omnibus est
communis. But to have left such a widow behind one!

"John," he said, opening his door. John was his son and partner, and
John came to him, having been summoned by a clerk from another room.
"Just shut the door. I've had such a scene here;--Lord Fawn and Mr.
Greystock almost coming to blows about that horrid woman."

"The Upper House would have got the worst of it, as it usually does,"
said the younger attorney.

"And there is John Eustace cares no more what becomes of the property
than if he had nothing to do with it;--absolutely talks of replacing
the diamonds out of his own pocket; a man whose personal interest in
the estate is by no means equal to her own."

"He wouldn't do it, you know," said Camperdown Junior, who did not
know the family.

"It's just what he would do," said the father, who did. "There's
nothing they wouldn't give away when once the idea takes them. Think
of that woman having the whole Portray estate, perhaps for the next
sixty years,--nearly the fee-simple of the property,--just because
she made eyes to Sir Florian!"

"That's done and gone, father."

"And here's Dove tells us that a necklace can't be an heirloom,
unless it belongs to the Crown."

"Whatever he says, you'd better take his word for it."

"I'm not so sure of that. It can't be. I'll tell you what I'll do.
I'll go over and see him. We can file a bill in Chancery, I don't
doubt, and prove that the property belongs to the family and must go
by the will. But she'll sell them before we can get the custody of
them."

"Perhaps she has done that already."

"Greystock says they are at Portray, and I believe they are. She was
wearing them in London only in July,--a day or two before I saw her
as she was leaving town. If anybody like a jeweller had been down at
the castle, I should have heard of it. She hasn't sold 'em yet, but