"He had always been led to believe, I understand, that he would be provided for by my father's will."
Richard laid down his pen and leaned thoughtfully back in his chair. "He has told me so," he rejoined, "but we have only his word for it, as there was no memorandum concerning him among my brother's papers."
"But surely it was well known that father had given him a pension. Aunt Lucy was perfectly aware of it—they talked of it together."
"During his lifetime he did pay Crowley a small monthly allowance in consideration of his past services. But his will was an extremely careful document—his bequests are all made in a perfectly legal form."
"Was not this will made some years ago, however, before the old man became helpless and lost his money?"
Richard nodded: "I understood as much from Crowley when he came to me with his complaint. But, as I reminded him, it would have been a perfectly simple matter for Daniel to have made such a bequest in a codicil—as he did in your case," he concluded deliberately.
The younger man met his gaze without flinching. "The will, I believe, was written while I was in prison," he observed.
"Upon the day following your conviction. By a former will, which he then destroyed, he had bequeathed to you his entire estate. You understand, of course," he pursued, after a pause in which he had given his nephew full time to possess himself of the information, as well as of the multiplied suggestions that he had offered, "that the income you receive now comes from money that is legally your own. If it should ever appear advisable for me to do so, I am empowered to make over to you the sum of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars in securities. The principal is left in my hands merely because it is to your interest that I should keep an eye on the investments."
"Yes, I understand, and I understand, too, that but for your insistence my father would probably have left me nothing."
"I felt very strongly that he had no right to disinherit you," returned Richard. "In my eyes he made a grave mistake in refusing to lend you support at your trial——"