“You can if you like,” she replied. “But the ordinary certificate won’t be enough in this case. He is going to be cremated.”
“Oh, indeed!” said I, once more unpleasantly conscious of my inexperience. “What sort of certificate is required for cremation?”
“Oh, all sorts of formalities have to be gone through,” she answered. “Just come into the drawing-room, and I will tell you what has to be done.”
She preceded me along the passage, and I followed meekly, anathematizing myself for my ignorance, and my instructors for having sent me forth crammed with academic knowledge, but with the practical business of my profession all to learn.
“Why are you having him cremated?” I asked, as we entered the room and shut the door.
“Because it is one of the provisions of his will,” she answered. “I may as well let you see it.”
She opened a bureau and took from it a foolscap envelope, from which she drew out a folded document. This she first unfolded and then re-folded, so that its concluding clauses were visible, and laid it on the flap of the bureau. Placing her finger on it, she said: “That is the cremation clause. You had better read it.”
I ran my eye over the clause, which read: “I desire that my body shall be cremated, and I appoint Sarah Elizabeth Morris, the wife of the aforesaid James Morris, to be the residuary legatee and sole executrix of this my will.” Then followed the attestation clause, underneath which was the shaky but characteristic signature of “Simon Bendelow,” and opposite this the signatures of the witnesses, Anne Dewsnep and Martha Bonington, both described as spinsters and both of a joint address which was hidden by the folding of the document.
“So much for that,” said Mrs. Morris, returning the will to its envelope; “and now as to the certificate. There is a special form for cremation which has to be signed by two doctors, and one of them must be a hospital doctor or a consultant. So I wrote off at once to Dr. Cropper, as he knew the patient, and I have had a telegram from him this morning saying that he will be here this evening at eight o’clock to examine the body and sign the certificate. Can you manage to meet him at that time?”
“Yes,” I replied, “fortunately I can, as Dr. Cornish is back.”