The funeral is to take place on Thursday, and had Ralph been in England he said that he should have written to him to come down to it, which he could have done in time had he started immediately he received the letter announcing the event; but as he is over in Ireland, of course nothing can be done.
"He said that had Ralph come he should have suggested that you also should be present at the reading of the will, but that as matters stand he did not think there was any occasion to trouble you.

I should tell you that Mr.Tallboys appeared a good deal worried, and one of his reasons for calling was to ask my husband whether he knew where Mr.Penfold was in the habit of keeping his papers.

It seems that upon the day after his return from London Mr.Penfold called upon him and took away his will, saying that he wanted to look over it, as he had two or three slight alterations that he wanted to make, and he would bring it back in the course of a day or two and get him to make the changes required.

From that time Mr.Penfold had not been in Weymouth, and, indeed, had scarcely left the house except to come down here; for, as he said to my husband, he did not feel quite himself, and supposed it was a reaction after his late dissipations.
"Mr.Tallboys, who is one of the executors named in the will, had searched for it in the afternoon among Mr.Penfold's papers; but found that it and several other documents--leases and so on--of importance were all missing.

He had asked Miss Penfold if she knew where her brother was in the habit of keeping important papers; but she replied shortly that she knew nothing whatever of her brother's business matters.