A copy of the Judge's will must have been in Henley's possession, and, no doubt, some lawyer's letter, describing the situation, received since the departure of his wife.

Apparently everything two clever crooks needed to know was in their possession.

All they needed to do was pull the strings, using a figurehead to represent Philip Henley.

That was the part for which I was chosen.

They had to construct a lie in order to interest me, yet that was comparatively easy, and there was a strong probability of success but for peculiar conditions of which they could know nothing.