'
Mr. Wyvern passed on. Only the pew-opener was moving about the
aisles. She looked with surprise at the pair as they entered.
'Tell her the same,' Mutimer commanded, under his breath.
The old woman was of course ready with offers of assistance, but a
word from Richard sufficed to keep her away.
The examination was quickly made, and .they returned as they had
come, without exchanging a word on the way. They went upstairs again
to the boudoir.
'Sit down,' Mutimer said briefly.
He himself continued to stand, again examining the will.
'I should think,' he began slowly, 'it's as likely as not that this
is a forgery.'
'A forgery? But who could have--'
Her voice failed.
'He's not likely to have run the risk himself, I suppose,' Mutimer
pursued, with a quiet sneer, 'but no doubt there are people who
would benefit by it.'
Adela had an impulse of indignation. It showed intself in her cold,
steady reply.
'The will was thick with dust. It has been lying there a long time.'
'Of course. They wouldn't bungle over an important thing like this.'
He was once more scrutinising her. The suspicion was a genuine one,
and involved even more than Adela could imagine. If there had been a
plot, such plot assuredly included the discoverer of the document.
Could he in his heart charge Adela with that? There were two voices
at his ear, and of equal persuasiveness.
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