You could give me great relief by talking a little on some foreign
subject, say on the one now engrossing every one in the house, the twin
ladies from New York. You were in the same coach with them. Did they
quarrel and did the most wilful of the two insist on getting out at the
foot of the hill and walking up through the lane?"
"I doubt if I have anything to say to Mr. Johnston on this subject," was
the wary reply.
"What if he added another name to the Johnston?"
"It would make no appreciable difference. The driver is a loquacious
fellow, talk to him."
Mr. Ransom felt his heart fail him. He surveyed closely the mouth which
had uttered this off-hand sentence and saw that it was set in a line
there was no mistaking. Little enlightenment was to be got from this man.
Yet he made one more effort.
"Did my wife sign the will?" he asked. "All pretense aside, this is a
very important matter to me, Mr. Harper; not on account of the money
involved, but because the doing of this simple act seemed to require such
an effort on her part."
"You are mistaken," was the quick reply, harshly accentuated. "She did
just what she wanted to do. She was not in the least coerced, unless it
was by circumstances."
"Circumstances! But that is what I mean. They seem to have been too much
for her. I want to understand these circumstances.
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