He was instructed to apprise this young man of his good fortune.

This he delayed in doing until after he had obtained more definite information from England.

The full and complete statement of facts was now before him.
There was one _very_ important, perhaps imposing feature in connection with the old gentleman's will: he was decidedly sound of mind and body when it was uttered.
When such astute lawyers as Bowen & Hare give up to amazement, the usual forerunner of consternation, it is high time to regard the case as startling.

Their practice was far-reaching and varied; imperviousness had been acquired through long years of restraint.

But this day they were sharply ousted from habitual calmness into a state of mind bordering on the ludicrous.
"Read it again, Bowen." "The will ?" "No; the letter." Whereupon Mr.Bowen again read aloud the letter from Bosworth, Newnes & Grapewin, this time slowly and speculatively.
"They seem as much upset by the situation as we," he observed reflectively.
"Extraordinary state of affairs, I must say." "And I don't know what to do about it--I don't even know how to begin.
They're both married." "And not to each other." "She's the wife of a Lord-knows-what-kind-of-a-lord, and he's married to an uncommonly fine girl, they say, notwithstanding the fact that she has larger social aspirations than he has means." "And if that all-important clause in the will is not carried out to the letter, the whole fortune goes to the bow-wows." "Practically the same thing.