"I am about to do so, if you will permit me," said Barras, with his most acid smile.
"I beg your pardon. Go on."
Mr. Barras made a short explanation before reading the will, as they thought he was about to do. "Your parents," he began, looking at the twins, "Mr. and Mrs. Baird, lived at Tremby Hall, a short distance out of this town. Mr. Baird died, and left the property, which came to about four thousand a year, more or less, solely to his wife, your mother. When she died, the property was handed over to my late client, Mr. Henry Horran, who acted as your guardian. For this he received, under the late Mrs. Baird's will, five hundred a year. It was much needed by Mr. Horran, as he was then desperately poor."
"How do you know that?" questioned Clarice, listening intently.
"I was Mrs. Baird's lawyer, and afterwards became Mr. Horran's," said the iron-grey man, severely, "so I speak of what I know. Mr. Horran, as I have just explained, received five hundred a year, as your guardian. He had also, seeing that you both were infants, so to speak, complete control of the property--that is, you each were left two thousand a year, and it was arranged that you should come into possession at the age of twenty-five. Meanwhile, Mr. Horran was to look after you, educate you, and guide you."
"He did all that," said Clarice, with emotion, although Ferdy did not openly second her speech, and wriggled uneasily.
"At five hundred a year," remarked Barras, pointedly.
"Go on--go on," said Jerce, impatiently.
"You, Mr. Baird, and you, Miss Baird, being twins, were each three years of age when your mother died. You are now each three and twenty, and in another two years will come into unfettered possession of four thousand a year, divided equally. You, Mr. Baird, receive, at the age of twenty-five, two thousand a year; and you, Miss Baird, also at the age of twenty-five, receive the same sum, annually."
"Yes, yes," said Jerce, who appeared to be irritated by the minute way in which the lawyer was detailing everything; "and, of course, there is the accumulation on the income of four thousand a year, for--let me see--twenty years, up to the present."