in
Chancery Lane--called Garvington aside, when the mourners returned from
the funeral, and asked that the reading of the will might be confined to
a few people whom he named.

"There is a condition laid down by the testator which need not be made
public," said Mr. Jarwin blandly. "A proposition which, if possible,
must be kept out of print."

Garvington, with a sudden recollection of his iniquity in connection
with the falsified check, did not dare to ask questions, but hastily
summoned the people named by the lawyer. As these were the widow, Lady
Garvington, himself, and his cousin Noel, the little man had no fear of
what might be forthcoming, since with relatives there could be no risk
of betrayal. All the same, he waited for the reading of the will with
some perturbation, for the suggested secrecy hinted at some posthumous
revenge on the part of the dead man. And, hardened as he was, Garvington
did not wish his wife and Lambert to become acquainted with his
delinquency. He was, of course, unaware that the latter knew about it
through Agnes, and knew also how it had been used to coerce her--for the
pressure amounted to coercion--into a loveless marriage.

The quintette assembled in a small room near the library, and when the
door and window were closed there was no chance that any one would
overhear the conference. Lambert was rather puzzled to know why he had
been requested to be present, as he had no idea that Pine would mention
him in the will. However, he had not long to wait before he learned the
reason, for the document produced by Mr. Jarwin was singularly short and
concise. Pine had never been a great speaker, and carried his reticence
into his testamentary disposition. Five minutes was sufficient for the
reading of the will, and those present learned that all real and
personal property had been left unreservedly to Agnes Pine, the widow of
the testator, on condition that she did _not_ marry Noel Tamsworth
Leighton Lambert. If she did so, the money was to pass to a certain
person, whose name was mentioned in a sealed envelope held by Mr.
Jarwin. This was only to be opened when Agnes Pine formally relinquished
her claim to the estate by marrying Noel Lambert. Seeing that the will
disposed of two millions sterling, it was a remarkably abrupt document,
and the reading of it took the hearers' breath away.

Garvington, relieved from the fears of his guilty conscience, was the
first to recover his power of spe