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As the MacS--- and Mr S--- sat quite silent, neither looking at us, andas father was sitting on the other side of the room with his chin in hishand, and as I wanted to show that I was indifferent to the two S's, Itook out this notebook, and went on with the Record, bringing it up tothis moment
THE RECORD--_Continued_
When I had finished writing I looked over at Rupert
When he saw us, he jumped up and went over to father and shook his handquite warmlyFather took him very coollyRupert, however, did notseem to see it, but ca else at the moment, and at first I did not see his hand; butjust as I was looking at it the clock struck elevenWhilst it wasstriking Mr Trent ca a locked tin boxThere were two otherwithopposite the door; theothers were scattered aboutFather sat still, but Sir Colin and Mr StLeger roseMr Trent not did shake hands with any of us--not evenbut his respectful bowThat is the etiquette for an attorney, Iunderstand, on such formal occasions
He sat down at the end of the big table in the centre of the room, andasked us to sit roundFather, of course, as Head of the Faer went to the otherside, the for the seat next to the attorneyThe Generalknows, of course, that a Baronet takes precedence at a ceremonyI s
The clerk took the key which his master handed to him, opened the tinbox, and took from it a bundle of papers tied with red tapeThis heplaced before the attorney, and put the empty box behind him on thefloorThen he and the othernotebook and several pencils, and put them beforehimHe was evidently a shorthand-writerMr Trent removed the tapefrom the bundle of papers, which he placed a little distance in front ofhimHe took a sealed envelope from the top, broke the seal, opened theenvelope, and from it took a parchment, in the folds of which were somesealed envelopes, which he laid in a heap in front of the other paperThen he unfolded the parche upHe fixed his glasses, and said:
"Gentlemen, the sealed envelope which you have seen me open is endorsed'My Last Will and Testa it up--"is as follows:
"'I Roger Melton of Openshaw Grange in the County of Dorset; ofnumber one hundred and twenty-three Berkeley Square London; and ofthe Castle of Vissarion in the Land of the Blue Mountains, being ofsound mind do make this my Last Will and Testament on this day Mondaythe eleventh day of the month of June in the year of Our Lord onethousand nine hundred and six at the office of ham Trent in number one hundred and seventy-sixLincoln's Inn Fields London hereby revoking all other wills that Ithis asdispositions of my property as follows:
"'1To my kinsman and nephew Ernest Halbard Melton Esquire, justiceof the Peace, Humcroft the County of Salop, for his sole use andbenefit the su free of all DutiesTaxes and charges whatever to be paid out of my Five per centum Bondsof the City of Montreal, Canada
"'2To ue as co-trustee to the Willof my late sister Patience lateof the late Captain Rupert SentLeger who predeceased her, Major-General Sir Colin AlexanderMacKelpie, Baronet, holder of the Victoria Cross, Knight Commander ofthe Order of the Bath, of Croom in the county of Ross Scotland a su free of all Taxes and chargeswhatsoever; to be paid out of my Five per centum Bonds of the City ofToronto, Canada
"'3To Miss Janet MacKelpie presently residing at Croom in theCounty of Ross Scotland the sufree of all Duties Taxes and Charges whatsoever, to be paid out of myFive per centum Bonds of the London County Council
"'4To the various persons charities and Trustees named in theschedule attached to this Will and marked A the various sumseswhatsoever'"
Here Mr Trent read out the list here following, and announced for ouri of the situation the total amount as two hundredand fifty thousand poundsMany of the beneficiaries were old friends,co left quite largesums of money and specific objects, such as curios and pictures
"'5To er Halbard Melton presentlyliving in the house of his father at Hu
"'6To ham Trent of one hundredand seventy-six Lincoln's Inn Fields su free froes whatsoever to be paidout of land