in body, mind, and judgment, do deliver
this as my last will and testament.

"'I give and bequeath all my real property, and all my personal
property, and all the property, whether real or personal, I may
hereafter possess or become entitled to, to my housekeeper, Janet
Butcher.

"'And I appoint Janet Butcher my sole executrix, and I make Janet
Butcher my sole residuary legatee; save and except that I leave my
solemn curse to any knave who hereafter shall at any time pretend that
he does not understand the meaning of this my will and testament.'"

(Catharine smiled a little at this last bequest.)

* * * * *

"Mr. Gaunt then solemnly appealed to me as an honest man to tell him
whether the aforesaid document was bad, or good, in law.

* * * * *

"I was fain to admit that it was sufficient in law; but I qualified, and
said I thought it might be attacked on the score of the hussy's undue
influence, and the testator's apparent insanity. Nevertheless, I
concluded candidly that neither objection would prevail in our courts,
owing to the sturdy prejudice in the breasts of English jurymen, whose
ground of faith it is that every man has a right to do what he will with
his own, and even to do it how he likes.

* * * * *

"Mr. Gaunt did speedily abuse this my candor. He urged me to lose no
time, but to draw his will according to the form and precedent in that
case made and provided by this mad parson; and my clerks, forsooth, were
to be the witnesses thereof.

* * * * *

"I refused, with some heat, to sully my office by allowing such an
instrument to issue therefrom; and I asked the said Gaunt, in high
dudgeon, for what he took me.

* * * * *

"Mr. Gaunt then offered, in reply, two suggestions that shook me.
_Imprimis_, he told me the person to whom he now desired to leave his
all was Mistress Catharine Peyton." (An ejaculation from Kate.)
"_Secundo_, he said he would go straight from me to that coxcomb
Harrison, were I to refuse to serve him in the matter.

* * * * *

"On this, having regard to your interest and my own, I temporized: I
offered to let him draw a will after his parson's precedent, and I
agreed it should be witnessed in my office; only I stipulated that next
week a proper document should be drawn by myself, with due