Gradually, as all conjecture proved futile, the gossip died away, and other events usurped the interest of the public.
Pine, who was really Hearne, had been murdered and buried; his assassin would never be discovered, since the trail was too well hidden; and Lady Agnes inherited at least two millions on which she would probably marry her cousin and so restore the tarnished splendors of the Lambert family.
In this way the situation was summed up by the gossips, and then they began to talk of something else.

The tragedy was only a nine minutes' wonder after all.
The gossips both in town and country were certainly right in assuming that the widow inherited the vast property of her deceased husband.

But what they did not know was that a condition attached to such inheritance irritated Agnes and caused Garvington unfeigned alarm.

Pine's solicitor--he was called Jarwin and came from a stuffy little office in Chancery Lane--called Garvington aside, when the mourners returned from the funeral, and asked that the reading of the will might be confined to a few people whom he named.
"There is a condition laid down by the testator which need not be made public," said Mr.Jarwin blandly.

"A proposition which, if possible, must be kept out of print." Garvington, with a sudden recollection of his iniquity in connection with the falsified check, did not dare to ask questions, but hastily summoned the people named by the lawyer.