Madge struck in.
"But I do; I mean to do a great deal. I'm going to strip all the wainscot off the sitting-room wall, and all the flooring up as well. And I'm going to continue that process till we reach the roof. I'm absolutely certain--absolutely certain, mind you!--that that unhappy man's hoard is somewhere within the four walls of this house, and I give you my word that I mean to find it."
"How about the landlord?" asked Graham. "What about his feelings? By the way, who is the landlord?"
"We're the landlord, Ella and I--or, at any rate, we very soon shall be."
"But in the meantime?"
"I don't know anything about a landlord. We took the house from Parker and Beading, the house agents over by the station."
"They would probably be acting for some principal. Did they not tell you his name?"
"They told us nothing. We took the house from them, and the supposition is that we're to pay the rent to them."
"If you will allow me, I'll take the will away with me--if you will trust me with it--and obtain expert opinion as to its validity. I will also call on Messrs. Parker and Beading, and ascertain, if possible, on whose authority they are acting."
"When will you do this?"