that are brought
into light when we consider this peculiarity of the disease. Mrs. Wilson
died on the twelfth of March of this present year. Mr. Jeffrey's second
will was signed on the twelfth of November of last year; at a time, that
is to say, when the existence of cancer must have been known to Mrs.
Wilson's doctor, and might have been known to any of her relatives who
chose to inquire after her.

"Then you will observe that the remarkable change in Mr. Jeffrey's
habits coincides in the most singular way with the same events. The
cancer must have been detectable as early as September of last year;
about the time, in fact, at which Mrs. Wilson made her will. Mr. Jeffrey
went to the inn at the beginning of October. From that time his habits
were totally changed, and I can demonstrate to you that a change--not a
gradual, but an abrupt change--took place in the character of his
signature.

"In short, the whole of this peculiar set of curcumstances--the change
in Jeffrey's habits, the change in his signature, and the execution of
his strange will--came into existence about the time when Mrs. Wilson
was first known to be suffering from cancer.

"This struck me as a very suggestive fact.

"Then there is the extraordinarily opportune date of Mr. Jeffrey's
death. Mrs. Wilson died on the twelfth of March. Mr. Jeffrey was found
dead on the fifteenth of March, having apparently died on the
fourteenth, on which day he was seen alive. If he had died only three
days sooner, he would have predeceased Mrs. Wilson, and her property
would never have devolved on him at all; while, if he had lived only a
day or two longer, he would have learned of her death and would
certainly have made a new will or codicil in his nephew's favour.

"Circumstances, therefore, conspired in the most singular manner in
favour of John Blackmore.

"But there is yet another coincidence. Jeffrey's body was found, by the
merest chance, the day after his death. But it might have remained
undiscovered for weeks, or even months; and if it had, it would have
been impossible to fix the date of his death. Then Mrs. Wilson's next
of kin would certainly have contested John Blackmore's claim--and
probably with success--on the ground that Jeffrey died before Mrs.
Wilson. But all this uncertainty is provided for by the circumstance
that Mr. Jeffrey paid his rent personally--and prematurely--to the
porter on the fourteenth of March, thus establishing beyond question