"'To Beverley without ye gate on ye highway----' that reads aright; but the next line doth not seem in keeping with the rest. How now, Sir George, if thy wits are as sharp as thy sword----"
But Sir George Lee shook his head. "Troth!" he ejaculated, "if a man of law cannot frame the wording of a document, how can I, a country gentleman, hope to do it?"
"Methinks I can help you," spoke a soft, sweet voice, and looking up I saw Mistress Felgate, who, hand in hand with her husband, had been a silent yet interested listener to the discussion.
The lawyer rose, and with great courtesy placed his hand over his heart and bowed, yet his manner betokened a professional scorn for feminine advice.
"At your service, madam."
"Then begin with the bottommost line and read upwards."
"'Whereas my sonne having trulie carried out mine desires----'"
"Faith, sweetest, thy wits have proved better than the lawyer's!" interrupted Felgate, bringing his fist down heavily on the table in his excitement.
"'----Mine desires'" resumed Master Whitehead, receiving the interruption with a deprecatory cough, "'I doe hereby give full directions in soe that the treasures of mine house at Holwick may come to him by right. Digge IIJ feet down at XXXII paces from y^e west side of y^e wall, keeping in line II tall fir trees that doe lie without y^e gate on y^e highway to Beverley.'"
"Nothing particularly difficult about these instructions," remarked my uncle.