Noel Vanstone is directly concerned in it.
"Knowing my own ignorance of legal technicalities, I inclose a copy of
the application, instead of trying to describe it. You will notice as
suspicious, that no explanation is given of the manner in which the
alleged discovery of one of my uncle's secrets was made, by persons who
are total strangers to him.
"On being made acquainted with the circumstances, the executors at once
applied to me. I could give them no positive information--for my uncle
never consulted me on matters of business. But I felt in honor bound to
tell them, that during the last six months of his life, the admiral had
occasionally let fall expressions of impatience in my hearing, which
led to the conclusion that he was annoyed by a private responsibility of
some kind. I also mentioned that he had imposed a very strange condition
on me--a condition which, in spite of his own assurances to the
contrary, I was persuaded could not have emanated from himself--of
marrying within a given time (which time has now expired), or of not
receiving from him a certain sum of money, which I believed to be the
same in amount as the sum bequeathed to him in my cousin's will.
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