"I mean exactly what I say. It is a piece of d---- roguery. Who was in the room when that thing was written?"
"The signature was witnessed by--"
"I don"t ask as to the signature. Who was in the room when the thing was written?"
"I was here with your grandfather."
"And no one else?"
"No one else. The presence of any one else at such a time would be very unusual."
"Then I regard the doc.u.ment simply as waste paper." After saying this, George Vavasor left the room, and slammed the door after him.
"I never was insulted in such a way before," said the attorney, almost with tears in his eyes.
"He is a disappointed and I fear a ruined man," said John Vavasor.
"I do not think you need regard what he says."
"But he should not on that account insult me. I have only done my duty. I did not even advise his grandfather. It is mean on his part and unmanly. If he comes in my way again I shall tell him so."
"He probably will not put himself in your way again, Mr. Gogram."
Then the attorney went, having suggested to Mr. Vavasor that he should instruct his attorney in London to take steps in reference to the proving of the will. "It"s as good a will as ever was made," said Mr. Gogram. "If he can set that aside, I"ll give up making wills altogether."
Who was to tell Kate? That was John Vavasor"s first thought when he was left alone at the hall-door, after seeing the lawyer start away. And how was he to get himself back to London without further quarrelling with his nephew? And what was he to do at once with reference to the immediate duties of proprietorship which were entailed upon him as executor? It was by no means improbable, as he thought, that George might a.s.sume to himself the position of master of the house; that he might demand the keys, for instance, which no doubt were in Kate"s hands at present, and that he would take possession with violence. What should he do under such circ.u.mstances?
It was clear that he could not run away and get back to his club by the night mail train. He had duties there at the Hall, and these duties were of a nature to make him almost regret the position in which his father"s will had placed him. Eventually he would gain some considerable increase to his means, but the immediate effect would be terribly troublesome. As he looked up at the melancholy pines which were slowly waving their heads in the wind before the door he declared to himself that he would sell his inheritance and his executorship very cheaply, if such a sale were possible.
In the dining-room he found his sister alone. "Well, John," said she; "well? How is it left?"
"Where is Kate?" he asked.
"She has gone out with her brother."
"Did he take his hat?"
"Oh, yes. He asked her to walk, and she went with him at once."
"Then, I suppose, he will tell her," said John Vavasor. After that he explained the circ.u.mstances of the will to Mrs. Greenow. "Bravo,"
exclaimed the widow. "I"m delighted. I love Kate dearly: and now she can marry almost whom she pleases."
CHAPTER LVI.
Another Walk on the Fells.
George when he left the room in which he had insulted the lawyer, went immediately across to the parlour in which his aunt and sister were sitting. "Kate," said he, "put on your hat and come and walk with me. That business is over." Kate"s hat and shawl were in the room, and they were out of the house together within a minute.
They walked down the carriage-road, through the desolate, untenanted grounds, to the gate, before either of them spoke a word. Kate was waiting for George to tell her of the will, but did not dare to ask any question. George intended to tell her of the will, but was not disposed to do so without some preparation. It was a thing not to be spoken of open-mouthed, as a piece of ordinary news. "Which way shall we go?" said Kate, as soon as they had pa.s.sed through the old rickety gate, which swung at the entrance of the place. "Up across the fell,"
said George; "the day is fine, and I want to get away from my uncle for a time." She turned round, therefore, outside the hill of firs, and led the way back to the beacon wood through which she and Alice had walked across to Haweswater upon a memorable occasion. They had reached the top of the beacon hill, and were out upon the Fell, before George had begun his story. Kate was half beside herself with curiosity, but still she was afraid to ask. "Well," said George, when they paused a moment as they stepped over a plank that crossed the boundary ditch of the wood: "don"t you want to know what that dear old man has done for you?" Then he looked into her face very steadfastly. "But perhaps you know already," he added. He had come out determined not to quarrel with his sister. He had resolved, in that moment of thought which had been allowed to him, that his best hope for the present required that he should keep himself on good terms with her, at any rate till he had settled what line of conduct he would pursue. But he was, in truth, so sore with anger and disappointment,--he had become so nearly mad with that continued, unappeased wrath in which he now indulged against all the world, that he could not refrain himself from bitter words. He was as one driven by the Furies, and was no longer able to control them in their driving of him.
"I know nothing of it," said Kate. "Had I known I should have told you. Your question is unjust to me."
"I am beginning to doubt," said he, "whether a man can be safe in trusting any one. My grandfather has done his best to rob me of the property altogether."
"I told you that I feared he would do so."
"And he has made you his heir."
"Me?"
"Yes; you."
"He told me distinctly that he would not do that."
"But he has, I tell you."
"Then, George, I shall do that which I told him I should do in the event of his making such a will; for he asked me the question. I told him I should restore the estate to you, and upon that he swore that he would not leave it to me."
"And what a fool you were," said he, stopping her in the pathway.
"What an a.s.s! Why did you tell him that? You knew that he would not, on that account, do justice to me."
"He asked me, George."
"Psha! now you have ruined me, and you might have saved me."
"But I will save you still, if he has left the estate to me. I do not desire to take it from you. As G.o.d in heaven sees me, I have never ceased to endeavour to protect your interests here at Vavasor. I will sign anything necessary to make over my right in the property to you." Then they walked on over the Fell for some minutes without speaking. They were still on the same path,--that path which Kate and Alice had taken in the winter,--and now poor Kate could not but think of all that she had said that day on George"s behalf;--how had she mingled truth and falsehood in her efforts to raise her brother"s character in her cousin"s eyes! It had all been done in vain. At this very moment of her own trouble Kate thought of John Grey, and repented of what she had done. Her hopes in that direction were altogether blasted. She knew that her brother had ill-treated Alice, and that she must tell him so if Alice"s name were mentioned between them. She could no longer worship her brother, and hold herself at his command in all things. But, as regarded the property to which he was naturally the heir, if any act of hers could give it to him, that act would be done. "If the will is as you say, George, I will make over my right to you."
"You can make over nothing," he answered. "The old robber has been too cunning for that; he has left it all in the hands of my uncle John. D---- him. D---- them both."
"George! George! he is dead now."
"Dead; of course he is dead. What of that? I wish he had been dead ten years ago,--or twenty. Do you suppose I am to forgive him because he is dead? I"ll heap his grave with curses, if that can be of avail to punish him."
"You can only punish the living that way."
"And I will punish them;--but not by cursing them. My uncle John shall have such a life of it for the next year or two that he shall bitterly regret the hour in which he has stepped between me and my rights."
"I do not believe that he has done so."
"Not done so! What was he down here for at Christmas? Do you pretend to think that that make-believe will was concocted without his knowledge?"
"I"m sure that he knew nothing of it. I don"t think my grandfather"s mind was made up a week before he died."
"You"ll have to swear that, remember, in a court. I"m not going to let the matter rest, I can tell you. You"ll have to prove that. How long is it since he asked you what you would do with the estate if he left it to you?"
Kate thought for a moment before she answered. "It was only two days before he died, if I remember rightly."