"I suppose you've come across something which gives you, at any rate, some vague notion."
"I haven't, that's the odd part of it."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I'm glad you've come."
"Why? what's up? Found the job too big to tackle single-handed? I thought you would."
"You're mistaken; that is not what I mean. I've gone through--hurriedly, but still thoroughly enough to have a pretty good idea of what it is that they contain--all the available books and papers; and, as you see, most of them seem available, everything seems open; and I've not found anything which even hints that he died the possessor of any property at all; with two exceptions. There is his pass-book at the local bank, showing a balance of about a hundred pounds, which may have been drawn on since; and there are the Cloverlea title-deeds, there, in that deed-box."
"That only shows that everything essential is in the hands of his London lawyer."
"You seem to take the existence of such a person very much for granted. He told me himself he hadn't one."
"Told you? when?"
"Not long ago there was a little difficulty about a right of way; I don't know if you heard of it. He came to me about it; I then asked him who acted for him in town; he said no one."