without much lightening the atmosphere. "Upon
my word, Clodd, you amuse me--you quite amuse me," repeated Mr. Gladman.

"You always had a sense of humour," commented Mr. Clodd.

"You villain! You double-dyed villain!" screamed Mr. Gladman, suddenly
changing his tone. "You think the law is going to allow you to swindle
honest men! You think we are going to sit still for you to rob us! That
will--" Mr. Gladman pointed a lank forefinger dramatically towards the
table.

"You mean to dispute it?" inquired Mr. Clodd.

For a moment Mr. Gladman stood aghast at the other's coolness, but soon
found his voice again.

"Dispute it!" he shrieked. "Do you dispute that you influenced
him?--dictated it to him word for word, made the poor old helpless idiot
sign it, he utterly incapable of even understanding--"

"Don't chatter so much," interrupted Mr. Clodd. "It's not a pretty
voice, yours. What I asked you was, do you intend to dispute it?"

"If you will kindly excuse us," struck in Mrs. Gladman, addressing Mr.
Clodd with an air of much politeness, "we shall just have time, if we go
now, to catch our solicitor before he leaves his office."

Mr. Gladman took up his hat from underneath his chair.

"One moment," suggested Mr. Clodd. "I did influence him to make that
will. If you don't like it, there's an end of it."

"Of course," commenced Mr. Gladman in a mollified tone.

"Sit down," suggested Mr. Clodd. "Let's try another one." Mr. Clodd
turned to the clerk. "The previous one, Mr. Wright, if you please; the
one dated June the 10th."

An equally short and simple document, it bequeathed three hundred pounds
to Mr. William Clodd in acknowledgment of kindnesses received, the
residue to the Royal Zoological Society of London, the deceased having
been always interested in and fond of animals. The relatives, "Who have
never shown me the slightest affection or given themselves the slightest
trouble concerning me, and who have already received considerable sums
out of my income," being by name excluded.

"I may mention," observed Mr. Clodd, no one else appearing inclined to
break the silence, "that in suggesting the Royal Zoological Society to my
poor old friend as a fitting object for his benevolence, I had in mind a
very similar case that occurred five years ago. A bequest to them was
disputed on the grounds that the testator was of unsound mind. They had
to take their case to the House of Lords before they final