e contingency, but on a series of
contingencies, which must all happen exactly as we wish them to happen.
I admit the force of the objection; but I can tell you, at the same
time, that these said contingencies are by no means so improbable as
they may look on the face of them.

"We have every reason to believe that the Trust, like the Will, was
_not_ drawn by a lawyer. That is one circumstance in our favor that is
enough of itself to cast a doubt on the soundness of all, or any, of the
remaining provisions which we may not be acquainted with. Another
chance which we may count on is to be found, as I think, in that strange
handwriting, placed under the signature on the third page of the Letter,
which you saw, but which you, unhappily, omitted to read. All the
probabilities point to those lines as written by Admiral Bartram: and
the position which they occupy is certainly consistent with the theory
that they touch the important subject of his own sense of obligation
under the Trust.

"I wish to raise no false hopes in your mind. I only desire to satisfy
you that we have a case worth trying.

"As for the dark side of the prospect, I need not enlarge on it. After
what I have already written, you will understand that the existence of
a sound provision, unknown to us, in the Trust, which has been properly
carried out by the admiral--or which can be properly carried out by his
representatives--would be necessarily fatal to our hopes. The legacy
would be, in this case, devoted to the purpose or purposes contemplated
by your husband--and, from that moment, you would have no claim.

"I have only to add, that as soon as I hear from the late admiral's man
of business, you shall know the result.

"Believe me, dear madam, faithfully yours,

"JOHN LOSCOMBE."

VII.

_From George Bartram to Miss Garth._

"St. Crux, May 15th.

"DEAR MISS GARTH--I trouble you with another letter: partly to thank you
for your kind expression of sympathy with me, under the loss that I have
sustained; and partly to tell you of an extraordinary application made
to my uncle's executors, in which you and Miss Vanstone may both feel
interested, as Mrs. Noel Vanstone is directly concerned in it.

"Knowing my own ignorance of legal technicalities, I inclose a copy of
the application, instead of trying to describe it. You will notice as
suspicious, that no explanation is given of the manner in which the
alleged discovery of one of my uncle's secrets