At the cottage the party found the Earl of Trimmerstone and Mr. Price in very close and serious conversation. They were discussing the arrangements for the funeral; but they seemed pleased at the addition to their party; and in the manner of Lord Trimmerstone towards Markham and Colonel Rivolta, there did not appear the slightest symptom of jealousy, or the least coolness or haughtiness.

After what Markham had heard of the will, and after comparing what Sir Andrew Featherstone had said with what had been related by Mr. Denver, he did not feel himself altogether at ease. For though he was very sure that Lord Trimmerstone was not aware of it, yet he could not feel perfectly composed, from the anticipation of what his lordship might say or think when he should know it, as very soon he must. On this occasion there were feelings in Markham’s mind by no means of an enviable nature. He unpleasantly and even painfully recollected that he had been always opposed to Lord Trimmerstone, and that without any deliberate wish or intention on his part; and he could not but imagine that a person of rank like Lord Trimmerstone, having also, as his lordship certainly had, exalted notions of the dignity and glory of title, must be greatly mortified at being brought into opposition with a person of no family. Markham’s first acquaintance with the name and family of Martindale had been, as we have narrated, merely from professional employment. His acquaintance and intimacy with the old gentleman had been not his own seeking; and even had he been disposed to drop the acquaintance, it was never in his power to do so without manifest rudeness, and almost downright ingratitude. It was not Markham’s wish to be quoted as a pattern, or to be set up against a relative of his accidentally-acquired friend. But the most mortifying circumstance of all was the last act of old Mr. Martindale; for by the will recently made, there seemed ready to fix upon Markham an indelible stigma as a legacy-hunter. The real circumstances of the case he hardly knew; and he could not, on the information of Sir Andrew Featherstone, accuse Mr. Price, in order to exonerate himself. It was also very well known that though Mr. Price was confidential solicitor to Mr. Martindale, yet as the old gentleman was a kind of amateur lawyer, he was very fond of talking on legal subjects with Markham, and did very often quote his opinion, to which he gave especial weight and importance.

It was also unpleasant and almost distressing to Markham to notice how very courteously Lord Trimmerstone behaved to him, and indeed always had he behaved so. It was very unfortunate, but there appeared no remedy for it, that with the best and purest intentions on the part of the young barrister, he should be brought into such awkward and almost unexplainable difficulties. For Markham was not only a man of strict integrity, but he had also a very high degree of moral susceptibility, and was excessively anxious to possess a high moral reputation: perhaps it was unfortunate for him that his regard to appearances was so great. His object might have been ultimately as well answered had he paid his undivided attention to the substance, leaving the shadow to take care of itself. Our readers will perceive that in what we have here said concerning our friend Markham, that he possessed a small share of vanity: as however he had many truly excellent qualities, that may be pardoned.

Now when Markham and his companions were thus cordially received, the whole party went into a consultation respecting the mode of the funeral; for as Mr. Price had said that there was no mention in the will of any desire on the part of the deceased as to funeral ceremony, the matter was open to discussion. In this consultation, Lord Trimmerstone and Mr. Markham were principally engaged; and it ended by resolving to have the funeral as plain as consistent with circumstances. This plainness was however composed of all the funereal practicabilities of Brigland.

Mr. Denver hearing that Mr. Price had spoken of the will, ventured to say that there existed a will of later date than that to which Mr. Price alluded. At the mention of this Mr. Price turned exceedingly pale; nor was his agitation much alleviated by hearing that one purpose of this new will was to increase the bequest designed for himself.

“Indeed! Mr. Denver,” said the man of law, trembling, “why that is very odd. I know that Mr. Martindale made several wills at different times, but this which I have was made so very recently, that there must be something very extraordinary to have occasioned it, and it is so strange that I should not have heard of it.”

Mr. Denver hoping to surprise agreeably said, “The making of the will to which I refer was concealed from you, Mr. Price, out of a feeling of delicacy, that Mr. Martindale might not hear from you those objections to an increased legacy, which he took it for granted you would make, if the alteration of the will were given to you to draw up. So Mr. Martindale said that he would make his own will, and then you might see after his decease how highly he valued your services.”

To this speech Mr. Price bowed, but no very strong symptoms of satisfaction were manifest in his countenance. Lord Trimmerstone immediately despatched a messenger for Mr. Simpson, requesting him to bring with him the document which had been committed to his care by the late Mr. Martindale. The gentleman presently obeyed the summons, and the will in question was produced.

Lord Trimmerstone cast his eye upon it, and hastily turned over, the very few folios which contained it, and with unaltered look said, “I see no mention made of funeral directions, and therefore we may proceed in our arrangements as before. Mr. Simpson, I will commit the will to your care; and after the funeral it may be read over, in the hearing of such of the parties concerned as may be present on the occasion.”

Mr. Simpson received the paper, bowed, and retired. And as it would require a pen far more practised than ours to give interest to the discussion which followed the retiring of this gentleman, we will proceed to the day of the funeral.

In opposition to the opinion and persuasions of Lord Trimmerstone, Signora Rivolta almost insisted on being present on the occasion. Clara followed her mother’s example, moved by the same considerations, and prompted by similar feelings. They both felt respect and love to the deceased; and the mother of Clara observed, “You will destroy the very character of funereal rites if you exclude those whose sorrow for the loss is greatest.”

“It is on that very account, madam,” replied Lord Trimmerstone, “that we wish to persuade you from attending at the interment. Why should you wish to render your regrets more poignant? and why should you encounter a scene which will be affliction to you, and beneficial to no one?”

“My lord, that which is matter of feeling is not subject for argument. I know that I shall feel deeply and painfully when I stand by my father’s grave; and I believe that my tears there will be joy to no one: but I also know that there may be many hours in life, in which to have shed these tears on such an occasion and at such a place will be to me a pleasure.”

Lord Trimmerstone did not exactly understand how that was to be; but he knew very well that it was not the fashion for females to attend funerals, and he thought it was very absurd in Signora Rivolta to persist in such a request. His lordship did not exactly know why it was not fashionable, and perhaps never thought of inquiring. It is the spirit and glory of fashion to follow models and obey laws, without knowing why or wherefore. The true reason of the unfashionableness of that which Signora Rivolta and her daughter persisted in doing is, that emotion and deep feeling are unfashionable. The Earl of Trimmerstone did not pursue the course of opposition, on finding that the ladies were sincere and earnest in their wish to pay this last tribute of respect to their departed relative.

The funeral service was read by Mr. Denver; who, notwithstanding he did all that he possibly could in order to render the service impressive by reading it solemnly, still from a habit of hastily performing the various parts of clerical duty, was absolutely unable to give the full effect to it. Signora Rivolta felt the defect of pathos, and the absence of genuine solemnity. This defect might perhaps contribute to keep her own feelings more calm and composed; or rather, by rendering her somewhat angry with the apparent indifference of the officiating clergyman, it tended to excite other emotions than merely those of grief and sorrow of heart.

When the last rites were over, it was necessary that the will should be read. If there was any one of the party apprehensive of disappointment, that person must have been Lord Trimmerstone. It certainly must have been mortifying to him to have witnessed the obstructions to his prospects of inheritance; first, in the discovery of his relative’s daughter and family, and next in the patronage and favoritism of that man whom he knew only as a person professionally employed against himself. It was mortifying also to him to think that this favorite should have become such from the very circumstance which his lordship had most reason to look back upon with shame and regret. It is, indeed, much to his lordship’s credit, that notwithstanding all these things he never manifested any symptoms of ill-humor or hostility towards the parties concerned, and never had recourse to any arts or contrivances whatever to flatter the old gentleman into good-humor. All this, however meritorious as it may sound in description, did not spring from any magnanimity on the part of Lord Trimmerstone, nor was it accompanied with any moral effort or reflective thought; it arose purely from a natural indolence of mind, and from a feeling that Mr. Martindale, who had manifested some zeal in procuring a higher title for his dependent relative, would have a natural desire to do what he could for the aggrandisement of the family that bore his own name.

The will was read. It commenced in the usual form. It gave various legacies to servants and humble friends, which need not be specified; it then went on to the distribution of larger and more important bequests; it gave the estate at Trimmerstone, and two other estates in the adjoining county, together with fifty thousand pounds, to the Earl of Trimmerstone. It assigned to Signora Rivolta an estate of two thousand a year; to Clara, a legacy of five thousand pounds; to his worthy and confidential solicitor, Mr. Price of Brigland, the sum of twenty thousand pounds; and to Horatio Markham, the residue: appointing the two last-named as his executors.

With this arrangement the Earl of Trimmerstone was perfectly satisfied; and had such a bequest come into his possession a few years before, he might have been delighted with it: but the time for his feeling strong emotions was past; his spirit was broken, and life had with him ceased to be holiday-time. Of the other legatees, Signora Rivolta, considering the circumstances of her birth, and recollecting the fears and prospects with which she had landed in England, was also perfectly satisfied. Markham, not knowing the extent of his legacy, but almost sorry that his name should have appeared at all in the document, felt embarrassed, and really did most heartily wish that what Sir Andrew Featherstone had told him might prove untrue: for the barrister, who would have delighted in opulence, as the result of professional diligence and skill, was not pleased at owing his wealth to a capricious stranger; and as it was his determination not to avail himself of this bequest, should it prove unreasonably large, he was greatly disturbed at the idea that by giving or offering it to those whom he thought the right owners, he should seem to be playing a part of ostentatious heroism.

But, alas! for poor Mr. Price! His disappointment was severe indeed. Ever since he had had the management of Mr. Martindale’s property, he had been playing a deep game. It was his object to acquire a character with the old gentleman for strict and delicate honesty. He perceived that his employer was not fully aware of the value of his own property, and he saw that it was possible that advantage might be taken of this ignorance. But the crafty solicitor also knew that Mr. Martindale was a man of shrewd sense and great self-will; and therefore thought it most advisable so to manage and conduct the affairs, that if by any freak on the part of the rich man, there should be necessity for explanation and full statement, that explanation and that statement might be made without fear of disgrace and suspicion. By the habit of accuracy in his accounts, the lawyer became absolutely proud of the dexterity and scrupulosity with which he had attended to the affairs of his client; and oftentimes did he urge Mr. Martindale to pay more personal attention, and to inspect the accounts.

The old gentleman’s personal expenditure had been but trifling, compared with his actual income. Wishing, however, to be liberal, but still desirous of keeping that liberality within his income, he had made frequent and periodical inquiries of his lawyer as to the extent of the means; and the answers to these inquiries had always been very much within the mark. Very soon after Mr. Martindale had begun to employ Mr. Price as his confidential solicitor, the whim of will-making had seized the old gentleman; and in all the instructions which he had given to his lawyer for that purpose, Mr. Price had been uniformly named as executor and residuary-legatee. The policy of that gentleman had therefore been to keep Mr. Martindale as much in the dark as he conveniently could with respect to the real extent and value of his property. But unfortunately for himself, the confidential solicitor overacted his part; and by causing his employer to apprehend that the residue of his property, after various proposed bequests, would be very much less than it really was, he had led the old gentleman to make the alteration above named.

Now it may seem that a legacy of twenty thousand pounds to a provincial solicitor was a bequest by no means to be despised or lamented. It may be said that this was better than nothing; but of that we have our doubts. Money is more or less, according to circumstances; and to ninety-nine persons out of a hundred, the disappointment of an expectation is equivalent to an actual loss. In the present case, however, Mr. Price was not merely disappointed, but he was absolutely embarrassed and perplexed: for he had made purchases of land at a great expense, and had left so large a portion of the purchase-money as a burden on his purchases, that the rent of his estates barely sufficed to pay the interest; and in some cases actually fell short of it. Add to this, that since the property in question had been bought, the change in its value had been by no means in favor of the purchaser. The legacy therefore which had been left him, magnificent as it might appear, compared with his apparent circumstances, was far below the necessities of his actual condition.

How the poor man felt under his disappointment, may perhaps be better imagined than described. It is probable, however, that he began to have some suspicion that there was some truth in the proverb which says, “Honesty is the best policy.”