"Then he will doubtless be willing to answer to the best of his ability any questions we may think well to put to him?"
Turning to Andry, Nell said, "You are quite willing to answer any questions Mr. Piljoy or these other gentlemen may ask you, are you not?"
The reply was two vigorous nods in the affirmative.
Turning to Sir James and his friend, Nell said, "Unfortunately, Andry is dumb, and has been so from his youth, so that I shall have to translate his answers for you."
"Come a bit more to the front, Andry, there's a good fellow," said Mr. Piljoy, who knew him of old. Then he seemed to consider for a few seconds while Andry changed his seat.
"You were in the room when the will was signed?" was the lawyer's first question.
With a look at Nell, his quick-moving fingers spelled out the answer, "I was," which was repeated aloud by her; and the same process had to be gone through in the case of all his answers.
"What persons were in the room at the time besides yourself and the testator?"
"Mr. Tew, and the two witnesses--Peter Grice, the groom, and Mike Denny, the under-gardener."
"Were you aware that Mr. Tew had brought two wills with him?"