sir," he said
deliberately.

"I am afraid you must entertain it," put in Christopher, suddenly, his
resolution to escape urging him to curt methods.

The light eyes of the lawyer rested on him with something very like
apprehension in them.

"In the case of there being no direct heir the money would go to the
nearest of kin."

"We will pass that over," Mr. Aston said quietly. "I am the nearest
relative Peter had, after Christopher, and I decline it at all
costs."

"Unclaimed and unowned money would fall to the Crown, I suppose. It is
impossible to imagine it."

"The Crown would see no difficulty in that, I expect," put in
Christopher. "How could you stop the Thing going on, that's what I
want to know?"

"You could give the money to Charities and shut down the works and
leave thousands to starve."

Christopher moved impatiently.

"The money invested in each company could be divided amongst the
shareholders, I suppose, or in the case of the Stormly Mines amongst
the work-people."

"If you want to ruin them."

"Mr. Saunderson, I am not going to accept this fortune. I don't like
the way it was made, I don't want it, I won't work for it."

"Why should you work for it, after all? You can go on with your own
life and delegate your powers to another or others, and let all
continue as it is. The income would be at your disposal to save or
spend. You need never enter Princes Buildings if that is what troubles
you. You can spend the money in philanthropy, or gamble it away at
Monte Carlo, or leave it to accumulate for your heirs. If you'll do
that I'll undertake to find suitable men to carry on the affairs."

Christopher's face flushed angrily, but he made an effort to control
himself, however, and answered quietly.

"I cannot take money I've not earned, Mr. Saunderson."

Mr. Saunderson made a gesture of despair.

"All you have to do," went on Christopher, watching him closely, "is
to act as if that clue had never fallen into your hands or as if when
you followed it up you found I was dead. Do you mean to say Mr.
Masters did not provide for that contingency?"

"As I have told you before, Mr. Masters provided for no such
contingency," snapped the lawyer; "he never entertained such a
preposterous idea as your refusing."

"To conform to his will," concluded Christopher drily.

The three men were silent a while, each struggling to see some way
out of the impasse into which they had arrived.

"You say the va