"Why was I not informed? The funeral—?"
"There was no funeral," replied Mr. Hawkes.
"No funeral?" said Alaric in astonishment.
"No," replied the lawyer. "In obedience to his written wishes he was cremated and no one was present except the chief executor and myself. If I may use Mr. Kingsnorth's words without giving pain, he said he so little regretted not having seen any of his relations for the last twenty years of his life-time he was sure THEY would regret equally little his death. On no account was anyone to wear mourning for him, nor were they to express any open sorrow. 'They wouldn't FEEL it, so why lie about it?' I use his own words," added Mr. Hawkes, as if disclaiming all responsibility for such a remarkable point of view.
"What a rum old bird!" remarked Alaric, contemplatively.
Mrs. Chichester wept as she said:
"He was always the most unfeeling, the most heartless—the most—"
"Now in his will—" interrupted the lawyer, producing a leather pocket-book filled with important-looking papers: "In his will—" he repeated—
Mrs. Chichester stopped crying:
"Eh? A will?"