All my life," continued the witness, with a slight smile,
"I have had a--I had better call it a weakness--for speculating; and
when I had got a goodly sum of money together by my trading venture in
Brisbane and Sydney, I began speculating again, in Melbourne chiefly.
And--to cut my story short--last year I had one of my periodic bad turns
of fortune: I lost a lot of money. Now, I am, as you see, getting on in
life, over sixty--and it occurred to me that if I came over to England
and convinced my nephew, the present holder of the title and estates,
that I am really who I am, he would not be averse--we have always been a
generous family--to giving me enough to settle down on in Australia for
the rest of my days. Perhaps I had better say at once, since we are
making matters so very public, that I do not want the title, nor the
estate; I will be quite candid and say what I do want--enough to let me
live in proper comfort in Australia, whither I shall again repair as soon
as I settle my affairs here."
Mr. Millington-Bywater glanced at the magistrate and then at the witness.
"Well, now, these papers?" he said.
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