As since the making of this will Richard had lost his faculties, the whole responsibility of finding the lost heir and of looking after the temporary heiress devolved upon Christopher's shoulders.
"And how is Mr.Bateson to-day ?" asked Mrs.Hankey of Mr.Bateson's better-half, one Sunday morning not long after Miss Farringdon's death.
"Thank you, Mrs.Hankey, he is but middling, I'm sorry to say--very middling--very middling, indeed." "That's a bad hearing.

But I'm not surprised; I felt sure as something was wrong when I didn't see him in chapel this morning.

I says to myself, when the first hymn was given out and him not there, 'Eh, dear!' I says, 'I'm afraid there's trouble in store for Mrs.Bateson.' It seemed so strange to see you all alone in the pew, that for a minute or two it quite gave me the creeps.

What's amiss with him ?" "Rheumatism in the legs.

He could hardly get out of bed this morning he was so stiff." "Eh, dear! that's a bad thing--and particularly at his time of life.