To my kinsman and nephew Ernest Roger Halbard Melton presently
    living in the house of his father at Humcroft Salop the sum of Ten
    thousand pounds sterling. "'6. To my old and valued friend Edward Bingham Trent of one hundred
    and seventy-six Lincoln's Inn Fields sum of Twenty thousand pounds
    sterling free from all Duties Taxes and Charges whatsoever to be paid
    out of my Five per centum Bonds of the city of Manchester England. "'7. To my dear nephew Rupert Sent Leger only son of my dear sister
    Patience Melton by her marriage with Captain Rupert Sent Leger the
    sum of one thousand pounds sterling. I also bequeath to the said
    Rupert Sent Leger a further sum conditional upon his acceptance of
    the terms of a letter addressed to him marked B, and left in the
    custody of the above Edward Bingham Trent and which letter is an
    integral part of this my Will. In case of the non-acceptance of the
    conditions of such letter, I devise and bequeath the whole of the
    sums and properties reserved therein to the executors herein
    appointed Colin Alexander MacKelpie and Edward Bingham Trent in trust
    to distribute the same in accordance with the terms of the letter in
    the present custody of Edward Bingham Trent marked C, and now
    deposited sealed with my seal in the sealed envelope containing my
    last Will to be kept in the custody of the said Edward Bingham Trent
    and which said letter C is also an integral part of my Will. And in
    case any doubt should arise as to my ultimate intention as to the
    disposal of my property the above-mentioned Executors are to have
    full power to arrange and dispose all such matters as may seem best
    to them without further appeal. And if any beneficiary under this
    Will shall challenge the same or any part of it, or dispute the
    validity thereof, he shall forfeit to the general estate the bequest
    made herein to him, and any such bequest shall cease and be void to
    all intents and purposes whatsoever. "'8. For proper compliance with laws and duties connected with
    testamentary proceedings and to keep my secret trusts secret I direct
    my Executors to pay all Death, Estate, Settlement, Legacy,
    Succession, or other duties charges impositions and assessments
    whatever on the residue of my estate beyond the bequests already
    named, at the scale charged in the case of most distant relatives or
    strangers in blood. "'9. I hereby appoint as my Executors Major-General Sir Colin
    Alexander MacKelpie, Baronet, of Croom in the County of Ross, and
    Edward Bingham Trent Attorney at Law of one hundred and seventy-six
    Lincoln's Inn Fields London West Central with full power to exercise
    their discretion in any circumstance which may arise in the carrying
    out my wishes as expressed in this Will. As reward for their
    services in this capacity as Executors they are to receive each out
    of the general estate a sum of one hundred thousand pounds sterling
    free of all Duties and impositions whatsoever. "12. The two Memoranda contained in the letters marked B and C are
    Integral Parts of this my Last Will are ultimately at the Probate of
    the Will to be taken as Clauses 10 and 11 of it. The envelopes are
    marked B and C on both envelope and contents and the contents of each
    is headed thus: B to be read as Clause 10 of my Will and the other C
    to be read as Clause 11 of my Will. "13. Should either of the above-mentioned Executors die before the
    completion of the above year and a half from the date of the Reading
    of my Will or before the Conditions rehearsed in Letter C the
    remaining Executor shall have all and several the Rights and Duties
    entrusted by my Will to both. And if both Executors should die then
    the matter of interpretation and execution of all matters in
    connection with this my Last Will shall rest with the Lord Chancellor
    of England for the time being or with whomsoever he may appoint for
    the purpose. "'This my Last Will is given by me on the first day of January in the
    year of Our Lord one thousand nine hundred and seven. "'ROGER MELTON. "We Andrew Rossiter and John Colson here in the presence of each
    other and of the Testator have seen the Testator Roger Melton sign
    and seal this document. In witness thereof we hereby set our names

    "'ANDREW ROSSITER clerk of 9 Primrose Avenue London W.C.

    "'JOHN COLSON caretaker of 176 Lincoln's Inn Fields and Verger of St.
    Tabitha's Church Clerkenwell London.'" When Mr. Trent had finished the reading he put all the papers together,
and tied them up in a bundle again with the red tape. Holding the bundle
in his hand, he stood up, saying as he did so:

"That is all, gentlemen, unless any of you wish to ask me any questions;
in which case I shall answer, of course, to the best of my power. I
shall ask you, Sir Colin, to remain with me, as we have to deal with some
matters, or to arrange a time when we may meet to do so. And you also,
Mr. Sent Leger, as there is this letter to submit to you. It is
necessary that you should open it in the presence of the executors, but
there is no necessity that anyone else should be present." The first to speak was my father. Of course, as a county gentleman of
position and estate, who is sometimes asked to take the chair at
Sessions--of course, when there is not anyone with a title present--he
found himself under the duty of expressing himself first. Old MacKelpie
has superior rank; but this was a family affair, in which my father is
Head of the House, whilst old MacKelpie is only an outsider brought into
it--and then only to the distaff side, by the wife of a younger brother
of the man who married into our family. Father spoke with the same look
on his face as when he asks important questions of witnesses at Quarter
Sessions. "I should like some points elucidated." The attorney bowed (he gets his
120 thou', any way, so he can afford to be oily--suave, I suppose he
would call it); so father looked at a slip of paper in his hand and
asked:

"How much is the amount of the whole estate?" The attorney answered quickly, and I thought rather rudely. He was red
in the face, and didn't bow this time; I suppose a man of his class
hasn't more than a very limited stock of manners:

"That, sir, I am not at liberty to tell you. And I may say that I would
not if I could." "Is it a million?" said father again. He was angry this time, and even
redder than the old attorney. The attorney said in answer, very quietly
this time:

"Ah, that's cross-examining. Let me say, sir, that no one can know that
until the accountants to be appointed for the purpose have examined the
affairs of the testator up to date."