Ravenshoe. By Henry Kingsley.

LORD ASCOT'S LAST ACT OF FOLLY. 383
"You know what you have done, Ascot," said Lord Saltire.
"You see what you have done. I am going to send for my
solicitor, and alter my will."
" Of course you are," said Lord Ascot. "iDo you dream I did
not know that before I came here?"
"And yet you came? "
"Yes; with all the devils out of hell dragging me back."
"As a matter of curiosity, why? " said Lord Saltire.
"0, I could n't do it, you know. I've done a good many dirty
things; but I could n't do that, particularly to that man. There
are some things a fellow can't do, you know."
"Where did you see him?"
"At the Groom's Arms, Belgrave Mews; he was therQ not
three hours ago. Find a man called Sloane, a horse-dealer; he
will tell you all about him; for he was sitting with his hand on
his shoulder. His address is twenty-seven, New Road."
At this time major-domo appeared. " Take a cab at once, and
fetch me - you understand when I sayfetch - Mr. Brogden, my
solicitor. Mr. Compton lives out of town, but he lives over the
office in Lincoln's Inn. If you can get hold of the senior partner,
he will do as well. Put either of them in a cab and pack them
off here. Then go to Scotland Yard; give my compliments to
Inspector Field; tell him a horrible murder has been committed,
accompanied by arson, forgery, and regrating, with a strong suspicion of sorning, and that he must come at once."
That venerable gentleman disappeared, and then Lord Saltire
said, -
" Do you repent, Ascot?"
No," said he. " D it all, you know, I could not do it
when I came to think of it. The money would never have stayed
with me, I take it. Good night."
"' Good night," said Lord Saltire; " come the first thing in the
morning."
And so they parted. Simpson said, " Are you going to alter
your will to-night, my lord? Won't it be a little too much for
you?"
"It would be if I was going to do so, Simpson; but I am not
going to touch a line of it. I am not sure that half a million of
money was ever, in the history of the world, given up with better
grace or with less reason. He is a noble fellow; I never guessed
it; he shall have it, - by Jove, he shall have it! I am going to
sleep. Apologize to Brogden, and give the information to Field;
tell him I expect Charles Ravenshoe here to-morrow morning.
Good night."
Simpson came in to open the shutters next morning; but
those shutters were not opened for ten days, for Lord Saltire
was dead.