Mr. Halfpenny ruminated a little, silently.
“After all,” he said at last, “there are only two persons really concerned—your cousin, Miss Wynne, and yourself. I propose to make an offer to you.”
“Always willing to be reasonable, Mr. Halfpenny,” answered Barthorpe.
“Very good,” said Mr. Halfpenny. “Of course, I see no possible reason for doubting the validity of the will. From our side, litigation must go on in the usual course. But I have a proposal to make to you. It is this—will you meet your cousin at my office, with all the persons—witnesses to the will, I mean—and state your objections to the will? In short, let us have what we may call a family discussion about it—it may prevent much litigation.”
Barthorpe considered this suggestion for a while.
“What you really mean is that I should come to your offices and tell my cousin and you why I am fighting this will,” he said eventually. “That it?”
“Practically—yes,” assented Mr. Halfpenny.
“Whom do you propose to have present?” asked Barthorpe.
“Yourself, your cousin, myself, the two witnesses, and, as a friend of everybody concerned, Professor Cox-Raythwaite,” replied Mr. Halfpenny. “No one else is necessary.”
“And you wish me to tell, plainly, why I refuse to believe that the will is genuine?” asked Barthorpe.