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nephew, Mr. Mellis. There are no other relatives, you say, who would benefit by intestacy?”
    â€œNot one.”
    â€œWell, what do you think yourself, now? Have you any suspicions?”
    Mr. Crellan shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve no more right to suspicions than you have, I suppose,” he said. “Of course, if there are to be suspicions they can only point one way. Mr. Mellis is the only person who can gain by the disappearance of this will.”
    â€œJust so, Now, what do you know of him?”
    â€œI don’t know much of the young man,” Mr. Crellan said slowly. “I must say I never particularly took to him. He is rather a clever fellow, I believe. He was called to the bar some time ago, and afterwards studied medicine, I believe, with the idea of priming himself for a practice in medical jurisprudence. He took a good deal of interest in my old friend’s researches, I am told - at any rate he said he did; he may have been thinking of his uncle’s fortune. But they had a small tiff on some medical question. I don’t know exactly what it was, but Mr. Holford objected to something - a method of research or something of that kind - as being dangerous and unprofessional. There was no actual rupture between them, you understand, but Mellis’s visits slacked off, and there was a coolness.”
    â€œWhere is Mr. Mellis now?”
    â€œIn London, I believe.”
    â€œHas he been in this house between the day you last saw the will in that drawer and yesterday, when you failed to find it?”
    â€œOnly once. He came to see his uncle two days before his death - last Saturday, in fact. He didn’t stay long.”
    â€œDid you see him?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œWhat did he do?”
    â€œMerely came into the room for a few minutes - visitors weren’t allowed to stay long - spoke a little to his uncle, and went back to town.”
    â€œDid he do nothing else, or see anybody else?”
    â€œMiss Garth went out of the room with him as he left, and I should think they talked for a little before he went away, to judge by the time she was gone; but I don’t know.”
    â€œYou are sure he went then?”
    â€œI saw him in the drive as I looked from the window.”
    â€œMiss Garth, you say, has kept all the keys since the beginning of Mr. Holford’s illness?”
    â€œYes, until she gave them up to me yesterday. Indeed, the nurse, who is rather a peppery customer, and was jealous of Miss Garth’s presence in the sick room all along, made several difficulties about having to go to her for everything.”
    â€œAnd there is no doubt of the bureau having been kept locked all the time?”
    â€œNone at all. I have asked Miss Garth that - and, indeed, a good many other things - without saying why I wanted the information.”
    â€œHow are Mr. Mellis and Miss Garth affected toward one another - are they friendly?”
    â€œOh, yes. Indeed, some while ago I rather fancied that Mellis was disposed to pay serious addresses in that quarter. He may have had a fancy that way, or he may have been attracted by the young lady’s expectations. At any rate, nothing definite seems to have come of it as yet. But I must say - between ourselves, of course - I have more than once noticed a decided air of agitation, shyness perhaps, in Miss Garth when Mr. Mellis has been present. But, at any rate, that scarcely matters. She is twenty-four years of age now, and can do as she likes. Although, if I had anything to say in the matter - well, never mind.”
    â€œYou, I take it, have known Miss Garth a long time?”
    â€œBless you, yes. Danced her on my knee twenty years ago. I’ve been her ‘Uncle Leonard’ all her life.”
    â€œWell, I think we must at least let Miss Garth know of the loss of the will. Perhaps, when they have cleared away these plates, she will come here for a few minutes.”
    â€œI’ll