grieve to tell you that our deceased friend committed
bigamy. Our deceased friend was a most peculiar man; I can't say that I
approve of his life, viewed as a whole."

Then came Gammon's disclosure about the burning of the will and about
Lord Polperro's intention to see his solicitor.

Greenacre smiled grimly.

"If I may make a personal remark, Gammon," he said in measured tones,
"I will confess that I should never have allowed the destruction of
that document. You, my friend, if I am not mistaken, had a still
greater interest in preventing it. That will provided very handsomely
for Mrs. Clover, for Miss Clover, and--I may say liberally--for a young
lady named Miss Sparkes."

He smiled more grimly than ever.

Gammon drew in his breath and refrained from speech.

"Of course, I understand his motives," pursued Greenacre. "They were
prudent, no doubt, and well meaning. He did not foresee that there
would be no opportunity for that interview with his solicitor."

"Look here, Greenacre, I Want to know how you found out first of all
that he'd married twice."

"Very simply; I took it for granted that he had. I am a student, as you
know, of genealogy, also of human nature in general. In my first
interview with Lord Polperro I let fall a word or two which obviously
alarmed him. That was quite enough. In his singular state of mind he
jumped to the conclusion that--as they say on the stage--I knew
everything; and, of course, I very soon did; as much, that is to say,
as he himself knew. He married at two-and-twenty a young girl whom he
met in Ireland; married her in his right name--Trefoyle (not
Clover)--and they travelled together for a year or two. Then somehow
they parted, and never saw or heard of each other again. No, there was
no child. I had little difficulty in persuading his lordship to let me
investigate this matter for him; I did it with complete success. The
girl belonged to a peasant family, I may tell you; she led, on the
whole, a decidedly adventurous life, and died suddenly on a ship in
which she was returning to the old country from America. I gather that
she never knew her husband's aristocratic connexion. Of course, I was
discretion itself whilst making these inquiries, and I feel pretty sure
that no claim will ever be made from that quarter--the peasant
family--on our friend's estate."

"Why, then," exclaimed Gammon, "what is to prevent Mrs. Clover from
coming forward? She knows nothing; she needn't e