"I understand,
Lecount! She shan't have a farthing. What shall I do? Shall I leave
the money to the admiral?" He paused, and considered a little. "No,"
he resumed; "there's the same danger in leaving it to the admiral that
there is in leaving it to George."
"There is no danger, Mr. Noel, if you take my advice."
"What is your advice?"
"Follow your own idea, sir. Take the pen in hand again, and leave the
money to Admiral Bartram."
He mechanically dipped the pen in the ink, and then hesitated.
"You shall know where I am leading you, sir," said Mrs. Lecount, "before
you sign your will. In the meantime, let us gain every inch of ground
we can, as we go on. I want the will to be all written out before we
advance a single step beyond it. Begin your third paragraph, Mr. Noel,
under the lines which leave me my legacy of five thousand pounds."
She dictated the last momentous sentence of the will (from the rough
draft in her own possession) in these words:
"The whole residue of my estate, after payment of my burial expenses
and my lawful debts, I give and bequeath to Rear-Admiral Arthur Everard
Bartram, my Executor aforesaid; to be by him applied to such uses as he
may think fit.
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