ly won it."

"Anyhow," remarked Mr. Gladman, licking his lips, which were dry, "you
won't get anything, Mr. Clodd--no, not even your three-hundred pounds,
clever as you think yourself. My brother-in-law's money will go to the
lawyers."

Then Mr. Pincer rose and spoke slowly and clearly. "If there must be a
lunatic connected with our family, which I don't see why there should be,
it seems to me to be you, Nathaniel Gladman."

Mr. Gladman stared back with open mouth. Mr. Pincer went on
impressively.

"As for my poor old cousin Joe, he had his eccentricities, but that was
all. I for one am prepared to swear that he was of sound mind in August
last and quite capable of making his own will. It seems to me that the
other thing, dated in June, is just waste paper."

Mr. Pincer having delivered himself, sat down again. Mr. Gladman showed
signs of returning language.

"Oh! what's the use of quarrelling?" chirped in cheery Mrs. Gladman.
"It's five hundred pounds we never expected. Live and let live is what I
always say."

"It's the damned artfulness of the thing," said Mr. Gladman, still very
white about the gills.

"Oh, you have a little something to thaw your face," suggested his wife.

Mr. and Mrs. Gladman, on the strength of the five hundred pounds, went
home in a cab. Mr. Pincer stayed behind and made a night of it with Mr.
Clodd and Bonner's clerk, at Clodd's expense.

The residue worked out at eleven hundred and sixty-nine pounds and a few
shillings. The capital of the new company, "established for the purpose
of carrying on the business of newspaper publishers and distributors,
printers, advertising agents, and any other trade and enterprise
affiliated to the same," was one thousand pounds in one pound shares,
fully paid up; of which William Clodd, Esquire, was registered proprietor
of four hundred and sixty-three; Peter Hope, M.A., of 16, Gough Square,
of also four hundred and sixty-three; Miss Jane Hope, adopted daughter of
said Peter Hope (her real name nobody, herself included, ever having
known), and generally called Tommy, of three, paid for by herself after a
battle royal with William Clodd; Mrs. Postwhistle, of Rolls Court, of
ten, presented by the promoter; Mr. Pincer, of the House of Commons, also
of ten (still owing for); Dr. Smith (ne Schmidt) of fifty; James Douglas
Alexander Calder McTear (otherwise the "Wee Laddie"), residing then in
Mrs. Postwhistle's first floor front, of one, paid fo