’From what I’m told I thought you’d perhaps been keeping things to yourself.  ’Twouldn’t have been unlike you, mother.  He knew all about us, so the lawyer tells me.’

‘The lawyer?’

’Well, I’d better out with it.  He’s died without a will.  His real property—­that means his houses and land—­belongs to me; his personal property—­that’s his money—­’ll have to be divided between me, and Alice, and ‘Arry.  You’re out of the sharing, mother.’

He said it jokingly, but Mrs. Mutimer did not join in his laugh.  Her palms were closely pressed together; still trembling, she gazed straight before her, with a far-off look.

‘His houses—­his land?’ she murmured, as if she had not quite heard.  ‘What did he want with more than one house?’

The absurd question was all that could find utterance.  She seemed to be reflecting on that point.

‘Would you like to hear what it all comes to?’ Richard resumed.  His voice was unnatural, forcibly suppressed, quivering at pauses.  His eyes gleamed, and there was a centre of warm colour on each of his cheeks.  He had taken a note-book from his pocket, and the leaves rustled under his tremulous fingers.

’The lawyer, a man called Yottle, just gave me an idea of the different investments and so on.  The real property consists of a couple of houses in Belwick, both let, and an estate at a place called Wanley.  The old man had begun mining there; there’s iron.  I’ve got my ideas about that.  I didn’t go into the house; people are there still.  Now the income.’

He read his notes:  So much in railways, so much averaged yearly from iron-works in Belwick, so much in foreign securities, so much disposable at home.  Total—­

‘Stop, Dick, stop!’ uttered his mother, under her breath.  ’Them figures frighten me; I don’t know what they mean.  It’s a mistake; they’re leading you astray.  Now, mind what I say—­there’s a mistake!  No man with all that money ’ud die without a will.  You won’t get me to believe it, Dick.’

Richard laughed excitedly.  ’Believe it or not, mother; I’ve got my ears and eyes, I hope.  And there’s a particular reason why he left no will.  There was one, but something—­I don’t know what—­happened just before his death, and he was going to make a new one.  The will was burnt.  He died in church on a Sunday morning; if he’d lived another day, he’d have made a new will.  It’s no more a mistake than the Baptist Chapel is in the square!’ A comparison which hardly conveyed all Richard’s meaning; but he was speaking in agitation, more and more quickly, at last almost angrily.

Mrs. Mutimer raised her hand.  ’Be quiet a bit, Dick.  It’s took me too sudden.  I feel queer like.’

There was silence.  The mother rose as if with difficulty, and drew water in a tea-cup from the filter.  When she resumed her place, her hands prepared to resume sewing.  She looked up, solemnly, sternly.

’Dick, it’s bad, bad news!  I’m an old woman, and I must say what I think.  It upsets me; it frightens me.  I thought he might a’ left you a hundred pounds.’