human
Hallo, Nash! have you found anything? have you found out who his man of business was?
gpt
I haven't discovered his man of business; but I have found something.
human
You haven't come upon anything which shows who it was he generally employed; I understand you've been here some time.
gpt
I don't know how long I have been here, but I've come on nothing which shows that he ever employed any one at all.
human
He must have employed some one.
gpt
I've gone through a good many of his papers; I've not hit on one which suggests it.
human
You said you'd found something; what is it?
gpt
His will; or, rather, a will.
human
That is something.
gpt
Especially as, beyond a shadow of doubt, it's the last will he ever made. It was drawn up on the third, last Thursday, probably just before he was taken ill. It's in his own writing, brief, and to the point, and apparently quite in order, since it was witnessed by Morgan, the butler here, and Mrs. Steele the housekeeper.
human
Let's have a look at it.
gpt
Here it is, in the envelope in which I found it.
human
I see that, by this, he's left everything to his daughter unconditionally.
gpt
That is so, the intention's unmistakable.
human
Then she's safe; that's all right. It ought to be something handsome; I wonder how much it is.
gpt
That's the question.
human
I suppose you've come across something which gives you, at any rate, some vague notion.
gpt
I haven't, that's the odd part of it.
human
What do you mean?
gpt
Well, I'm glad you've come.
human
Why? what's up? Found the job too big to tackle single-handed? I thought you would.
gpt
You're mistaken; that is not what I mean. I've gone through--hurriedly, but still thoroughly enough to have a pretty good idea of what it is that they contain--all the available books and papers; and, as you see, most of them seem available, everything seems open; and I've not found anything which even hints that he died the possessor of any property at all; with two exceptions. There is his pass-book at the local bank, showing a balance of about a hundred pounds, which may have been drawn on since; and there are the Cloverlea title-deeds, there, in that deed-box.
human
That only shows that everything essential is in the hands of his London lawyer.
gpt
You seem to take the existence of such a person very much for granted. He told me himself he hadn't one.
human
Told you? when?
gpt
Not long ago there was a little difficulty about a right of way; I don't know if you heard of it. He came to me about it; I then asked him who acted for him in town; he said no one.
human
You are sure?
gpt
I am; for a man in his position it struck me as odd.
human
He must have had a man in town, you misunderstood him. You haven't gone through all the papers?
gpt
Not all.
human
Then we shall come upon it; I'll help you with the rest. There are no doubt papers elsewhere; probably in his bedroom, or at his rooms in town. Have you found out what was his London address?
gpt
I have found nothing which shows that he had one.
human
But he must have had a London address; why, he spent quite a large part of the year in town.
gpt
I happen to know that the only London address Miss Lindsay ever had was the Carlton Club; they may be able to tell us there.
human
Of course they'll be able to tell us. Found any cash?
gpt
Not a penny.
human
Anything which stands for cash?
gpt
Nothing; except what I have told you.
human
Lindsay was a man of secretive habits; if he could help it he never let his left hand know what his right hand was doing. When you come to deal with the affairs of a man like that you're handicapped; but there can be no sort of doubt that he was a man of considerable means. It must have cost him something to live here; where did the money to do that come from? It must have come from somewhere.
gpt
It seems that there are a good many debts; as you are possibly aware, there is a good deal owing round here.
human
He was a man who hated paying.
gpt
Look here, Nash, what are you hinting at?
human
I am merely answering your questions.
gpt
Yes, but you're answering them in a way I don't like.
human
I am afraid that I didn't realize that my answers had to be to your liking, whatever the facts might be.