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A profound silence had fallen on the room and its occupants Mr Jellicoe sat with his eyes fixed on the table as if deep in thought, the unlighted cigarette in one hand, the other grasping the tuhed ientle"

He took a sip from the tumbler, opened ahis mind, laid it down and coht you here to-night, had its origin ten years ago At that time my friend Hurst beca too fast for you, Mr Badger?"

"No, not at all," replied Badger "I a it down in shorthand"

"Thank you," said Mr Jellicoe "He became involved in serious difficulties and came to me for assistance He wished to borrow five thousand pounds to enable hiements I had a certain amount of money at my disposal, but I did not consider Hurst's security satisfactory; accordingly I felt coham called on me with the draft of his hich he wished me to look over before it was executed

"It was an absurd will, and I nearly told him so; but then an idea occurred to me in connection with Hurst It was obvious to h the will, that, if the burial clause was left as the testator had drafted it, Hurst had a very good chance of inheriting the property; and, as I was naive full effect to that clause Accordingly, I asked for a few days to consider the will, and I then called upon Hurst and made a proposal to him; which was this: That I should advance him five thousand pounds without security; that I should ask for no repayht have or acquire in the estate of John Bellingham up to ten thousand pounds, or two-thirds of any suht inherit if over that amount He asked if John had yet made any will, and I replied, quite correctly, that he had not He inquired if I knehat testaain I answered, quite correctly, that I believed that John proposed to devise the bulk of his property to his brother, Godfrey

"Thereupon, Hurst accepted nment After a few days' delay, I passed the will as satisfactory The actual document ritten froht after Hurst had executed the assignned the will in my office By the provisions of that will I stood an excellent chance of beco virtually the principal beneficiary, unless Godfrey should contest Hurst's claim and the Court should override the conditions of clause two