But the signatures yet remained to be affixed.
Bill asked her if she would like to let them stand over till the morrow ?--but this, although she felt ill with the pain she declined to do.

She was marked now, marked with the ineffaceable mark of Bill, so she might as well be marked to some purpose.

If she put off the signing of the document till the morrow, it might be too late, Mr.Meeson might be dead, Johnnie might have changed his mind, or a hundred things.

So she told them to go on and finish it as quickly as possible, for there was only about two hours more daylight.
Fortunately Mr.Meeson was more or less acquainted with the formalities that are necessary in the execution of a will, namely: that the testator and the two witnesses should all sign in the presence of each other.

He also knew that it was sufficient, if, in cases of illness, some third person held the pen between the testator's fingers and assisted him to write his name, or even if someone signed for the testator in his presence and by his direction; and, arguing from this knowledge, he came to the conclusion--afterwards justified in the great case of Meeson v.
Addison and Another--that it would be sufficient if he inflicted the first prick of his signature, and then kept his hand upon Bill's while the rest was done.