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 speech.  He looked at the lean, dry lawyer, and demanded fiercely if no legacy had been left to him.  “Surely Pine did not forget me?” he lamented, with more temper than sorrow.

“You have heard the will,” said Mr. Jarwin, folding up the single sheet of legal paper on which the testament was inscribed.

“There are no legacies.”

“None at all.”

“Hasn’t Pine remembered Silver?”

“He has remembered nothing and no one save Lady Agnes.”  Jarwin bowed to the silent widow, who could not trust herself to speak, so angered was she by the cruel way in which her husband had shown his jealousy.

“It’s all very dreadful and very disagreeable,” said Lady Garvington in her weak and inconsequent way.  “I’m sure I was always nice to Hubert and he might have left me a few shillings to get clothes.  Everything goes in cooks and food and—­”

“Hold your tongue, Jane,” struck in her husband crossly.  “You’re always thinking of frocks and frills.  But I agree with you this will is dreadful.  I am not going to sit under such a beastly sell you know,” he added, turning to Jarwin.  “I shall contest the will.”

The lawyer coughed dryly and smiled.  “As you are not mentioned in the testament, Lord Garvington, I fail to see what you can do.”

“Hum! hum! hum!” Garvington was rather disconcerted.  “But Agnes can fight it.”

“Why should I?” questioned the widow, who was very pale and very quiet.

“Why should you?” blustered her brother.  “It prevents your marrying again.”

“Pardon me, it does not,” corrected Mr. Jarwin, with another dry cough.  “Lady Agnes can marry any one she chooses to, save—­” His eyes rested on the calm and watchful face of Lambert.