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Updated: June 21, 2025
To this she had assented without a word, and had written the codicil in accordance with the lawyer's dictation, he, the lawyer, suffering at the time from gout in his hand. Among other things Lady Mason proved that on the date of the signatures Mr. Usbech had been with Sir Joseph for sundry hours. Then the young clerk was examined.
He told the jury of all who had been present in the room when that true deed had been signed; he described how old Usbech had sat there incapable of action; how that affair of the partnership had been brought to a close; how those two witnesses had thereupon appended their name to a deed; how those witnesses had been deceived, or partially deceived, as to their own signatures when called upon to give their testimony at a former trial; and he told them also that a comparison of the signatures on the codicil with those signatures which were undoubtedly true would lead an expert and professional judge of writing to tell them that the one set of signatures or the other must be forgeries.
He was thinking of Miriam Usbech as she was twenty years ago, and of Mrs. Smiley as she appeared at present. Not that he felt inclined to grumble at the lot prepared for him, but that he would like to take a few more years to think about it. And then they sat down to tea.
"And you don't remember the nature of that special deed, as explained to you on the day when Bridget Bolster was in the room?" "No, I don't." "It might have been a will?" "Yes, it might. I did sign one or two wills for Sir Joseph, I think." "And as to this individual document, Mr. Usbech might have signed it in your presence, for anything you know to the contrary?" "He might have done so."
He did remember witnessing a signature of his master about the time specified by the date of the codicil, and he remembered the maid-servant also signing at the same time. Mr. Usbech was then present; but he did not remember Mr. Usbech having the pen in his hand. Mr. Usbech, he knew, could not write at that time, because of the gout; but he might, no doubt, have written as much as his own name.
"Think a moment before you answer; and deal with her as you would wish another should deal with you if you were so situated. Can you say that you remember that Usbech did not sign it?" "Well, sir, I don't think he did." "But he might have done so?" "Oh, yes; he might." "You do not remember that he did do so?" "Certainly not." "And that is about the extent of what you mean to say?" "Yes, sir."
Dockwrath at Hamworth, in accordance with the invitation received from that gentleman; his enemy, Dockwrath, who had carried off Miriam Usbech, for whom John Kenneby still sighed, in a gentle easy manner indeed, but still sighed as though it were an affair but of yesterday. But though he had so agreed, and though he had never stirred from that resolve, he by no means did it immediately.
Among other solid benefits conferred by Lady Mason had been the letting to Mr. Dockwrath of certain two fields, lying at the extremity of the farm property, and quite adjacent to the town of Hamworth in which old Mr. Usbech had resided.
Many men agreed with Joseph Mason, thinking that Usbech the attorney had perpetrated this villainy on behalf of his daughter; but Joseph Mason would believe, or say that he believed a belief in which none but his sisters joined him, that Lady Mason herself had been the villain.
When first asked, Kenneby had said that he was nearly sure that Mr. Usbech had not signed the document. But his very anxiety to be true had brought him into trouble. Mr. Furnival on that occasion had taken advantage of the word "nearly," and had at last succeeded in making him say that he was not sure at all.
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