Mottisfont gave a slight titter. "How typical of Joseph!" he remarked. "Quite a blow to you and Stephen, I fear!"
"Quite!" said Paula through her teeth.
"You have all my sympathy," he said. "But it is never wise to anticipate, is it?"
"Oh, get out!" she said rudely.
He shrugged, and walked away. The Inspector said: "Well, well, this is quite a surprise, I must say, miss! Very unfortunate for all concerned. How did it come about that the will wasn't witnessed? Mr. Blyth never said anything."
"He didn't know. My precious Uncle Joseph, who started life in a solicitor's office, remembered just enough law to realise that witnesses would be wanted, and he got Sturry and Ford to sign as witnesses. But my Uncle Nat apparently wouldn't have them in his bedroom, and they waited outside to do their stuff. Now it seems that my clear uncle forgot some clause or other, and on account of it the witnesses will be required to swear that they saw Uncle Nat sign his will. And of course, Sturry, as soon as he heard of it, seized the opportunity to queer my brother's pitch, and said he couldn't perjure himself. So that is beautifully that. It would be funny if it weren't so damnable."
The Inspector, who had listened to this with an expression of absorbed interest on his face, said sympathetically that it was a bit of a facer. "I am not what you'd call a whale on these matters myself, miss. What happens to the late Mr. Herriard's estate now?"
"I don't know, and I don't care. I know nothing about law. My brother's telephoning to Mr. Blyth now. He thinks my Uncle Joseph will inherit everything, as next of kin. I expect he's right. It's the sort of ironic thing that would happen!"
"Well, I think, if it's all the same to you, miss, I'll wait to hear the result of this telephone-call," decided Hemingway, laying his hat down on the table.
She shrugged. "Please yourself!"