“It’s an awful insult to you when she tries to get rid of her husband to marry your only son, my dear.”
“Oh—but he’d never marry her!”
“I’m not sure. If he thought it would be dishonourable not to marry her, he’d be quite capable of doing it, and of blowing out his brains afterwards.”
“That wouldn’t improve her position,” observed the practical Lady Johnstone.
“She’d be the widow of an honest man, instead of the wife of a blackguard,” said Sir Adam. “However, I’m doing this on my own responsibility. What I want is that you should witness the will.”
“And let Mrs. Crosby think I made you do this? No—”
“Nonsense. I sha’n’t copy the signatures—”
“Then why do you need them at all?”
“I’m not going to write to her that I’ve made a will, if I haven’t,” answered Sir Adam. “A will isn’t a will unless it’s witnessed. I’m not going to lie about it, just to frighten her. So I want you and Mrs. Bowring to witness it.”
“Mrs. Bowring?”