“When and where?”
“In the hands of my brother-in-law, at his house, years ago. I could scarcely say how often. He kept many of his papers in it, often matters of value. It was a handy thing to carry to and from his banking-house, or to put away and lock up anywhere.”
“It is part of the property, then, of which you came in search?”
“Assuredly. I should certainly claim it if it were not already in your own custody.”
“I shall then proceed to take the responsibility of opening it,” said the Judge, as he touched his little bell; “but I must have witnesses.”
In a moment more, two law-clerks were called in as “lookers-on,” while another sat at a desk and wrote out an inventory of the various papers and matters in the valise, as the Judge called them off.
“No money,” he said, at last.
“Of course not,” replied Mr. Norton; “we could trust Robert for that. Nor anything he could handily turn into money. That is the will, beyond doubt, and it has evidently been opened and read.”
“No harm for us to read it over again, then,” said the Judge. “I’ll excuse you now, gentlemen.”
The moment they were alone, the Judge proceeded with a perusal of the ancient-looking document, while Ashbel Norton listened.