“Of course I know that; but the odds are so heavy that this is a bogus claim that you are bound to fight it.”
By return of post came the following reply, which Baxter took round to his chambers for Tempest to see:—
“Dear Sirs,—We are surprised at the tone and contents of your letter. We had not overlooked the facts you allude to, but we are advised by counsel that the trust moneys had already become vested in our client before the Crown took action, and that therefore the decree is of no weight. We shall be glad if you will give the matter further consideration, as we do not wish to resort to litigation unnecessarily.—Yours faithfully, Clutch & Holdem.”
“This seems to be getting interesting,” said Tempest as he read the letter.
“Now write to them, and ask them to produce, for your inspection, the original of the letter written by Sir John and the certificate of the marriage. You should also ask them how they propose to prove the identity of their client with the lady who married Sir John? Let me know what they say.”
The letter was duly written; and Tempest learned afterwards from Baxter that there could be no doubt whatever that the letter had been written by Sir John. “It’s on the firm’s paper. It’s all in his own handwriting. It couldn’t have been forged so perfectly. You see, it isn’t just the question of a signature.”
“Very well, then, I take it that Sir John wrote it. Did you ask to see the envelope.”
“Yes; and I was told it was given personally to Lady Rellingham by Sir John, and was never put into an envelope.”
“Oh, that’s important; as the admission, if it were true, would prove she had seen Sir John since or at the date of the making of the will. Anything else?”
“Yes, it was written in the new copying-ink. I told you about that once before, so it must have been written within a week or so before he died.”