“Neither did you, Miss D’Enghien?”
“I? Oh no.”
“He told me himself,” continued the old lawyer, “that he had never seen either Miss Lawrence or Mr Paul Capel.”
Lydia murmured an assent.
“No,” said Capel, who felt a curious oppression at the chest, “I never saw my great uncle. I never even heard from or wrote to him.”
“May I ask why?”
“I knew he was reported to be immensely rich, and—well, I felt that he might think I was trying to curry favour.”
“Let me see, Mr Artis, I think the deceased did pay your debts?”
“Is this meant for an insult, sir?”
“No, sir; it was a business-like defence of my old friend’s memory. To proceed:—