"He seems to have laid himself out with the most devilish ingenuity to defeat his own ends." "That is not an uncommon peculiarity with testators," Thorndyke remarked.

"A direct and perfectly intelligible will is rather the exception.

But we can hardly judge until we have seen the actual document.

I suppose Bellingham hasn't a copy ?" "I don't know," said I; "but I will ask him." "If he has one, I should like to look through it," said Thorndyke.

"The provisions are very peculiar, and, as Jervis says, admirably calculated to defeat the testator's wishes if they have been correctly reported.
And, apart from that, they have a remarkable bearing on the circumstances of the disappearance.