Chapter 25 Chapter Twenty-Five: So Said Mr. Sprague

Then Frankie stammered, "How did you find out?" That's not what she wanted to say at all.In fact, she could have kept her mouth shut for a while and pretended to be confused, but the words were out.Mr. Sprague wouldn't be a lawyer at all if he didn't see that they were involved in an imposter. "So you know something about it, Miss Frances?" "That's right," Frankie replied.She paused, took a deep breath, and then said, "Mr. Sprague, I did participate in the whole thing." "I'm deeply surprised," Mr. Sprague said.There was a struggle in his voice, the outlaw attorney at odds with the benevolent family attorney. "What's going on here?" he asked.

"It's just a joke," Frankie said guiltily. "We...we're looking for something to do." "Then," demanded Mr. Sprague, "whose idea was it that he passed himself off as me?" Frankie watched him, made up his mind, and made a quick decision. "That's the young... Duke of No. . . . " she broke off. "I really shouldn't be naming names. That's not good." But she knew the odds were in her favor.It is doubtful whether Mr. Sprague would forgive the recklessness of a mere clergyman's son, but his preference for noble names would make him condone the insolence of a duke.Sure enough, he regained his kind expression.

"Alas! you clever young men," he murmured, waving his forefingers, "how much trouble you have given yourselves. You will be surprised, Miss Frances, that a considerable number of legal troubles may arise out of a Superficially harmless, spur-of-the-moment banter, just a little too happy, but sometimes such disputes are particularly difficult to settle in private." "I think you're great, Mr. Sprague," said Frankie, hastily and earnestly. "I really do. There's not one man in a thousand as great as you. I'm really ashamed. " "No, no, Miss Frances," said Mr. Sprague fatherly.

"Oh, but I'm ashamed. I think it was Mrs. Rivington . . . what did she say to you?" "You see I have a letter here, which I opened only half an hour ago." Frankie held out his hand, and Mr. Sprague put the letter in her hand with an expression that seemed to say: "Look, see for yourself what your stupidity leads to." Mrs. Rivington's letter reads: Dear Mr. Sprague: I'm so retarded, but one thing I just remembered might help you understand the time I visited that day.Alan Carstairs had mentioned his intention to go to a place called Chipping Somerton.I don't know if this will help you.

I'm so interested in what you've told me about the Moult Trevor case.Sincere regards. your faithful Edith Rivington "You can see that the situation may be very serious," said Mr. Sprague, sharply but kindly. "I believe that something very suspicious is going on. Whether it has anything to do with the Moltrever case, Or with my client, Mr. Carstairs..." Frankie interrupted him and asked excitedly: "Alan Carstairs is your client?" "Yes, he consulted me on his last visit to England a month ago. Do you know Mr. Carstairs, Miss Frances?" "I think it's fair to say we know each other," said Frankie.

"A charismatic man," Mr. Sprague said, "who brought a large ... large space into my office." "He has come to consult you about Mr Savage's will, has he not?" asked Frankie. "Oh!" cried Sprague. "So you suggested he come to me, and he can't remember who it was. It's a pity I wasn't able to help him more." "What would you suggest he do?" asked Frankie. "Perhaps tell me it's not unprofessional?" "Nothing at all," Mr. Sprague smiled. "My opinion is that there is nothing to be done about that will--nothing, that is, unless Mr. Savage's relatives are prepared to spend money to fight lawsuits. I guess they're either not going to fight, or they're going to fight. I never advise people to take cases to court, unless there's more or less a chance of winning. The law, Miss Frances, is a fickle thing. A beast that turns and frightens the ignorant of the law. My motto has always been: private reconciliation."

"It's so queer," said Frankie thoughtfully, feeling like she was walking on eggshells.She could take a step at any moment and it would be game over. "This type of case is not as simple as you think it is," Mr. Sprague said. "A suicide case?" Frankie asked. "No, no, I'm talking about the threat case. Mr. Savage is a shrewd businessman, but he's obviously at the mercy of that woman like a wax figure. I have no doubt she knows her trade." "I hope you'll give me the whole story," said Frankie boldly. "Mr. Carstairs is ... well, so excited that I don't seem to understand."

"The case is extremely simple," said Mr. Sprague. "I can give you the facts briefly, and the circumstances are easy for everyone to understand, and no one can do me wrong." "Tell me about it, then," said Frankie. "Mr. Savage came to England last November from a trip to America. As you know, he is very rich and has no close relatives. On this trip, he made the acquaintance of a... er... Templeton Lady's daughter. Nothing more is known of this Lady Templeton than that she is a very pretty woman and has a husband somewhere around." "It's the Caymans," thought Frankie.

"Such sea travel is dangerous," said Mr. Sprague, shaking his head with a smile. "Clearly Mr. Savage was fascinated. He accepted the lady's invitation to come to her in Chipping. The little cottage at Somerton, and took up residence. Exactly how often he went there I have no idea. But there is no doubt that under Mrs. Templeton's influence he went more and more frequently. Frequently. Then something tragic happened. He felt for a while that his health was not normal. He feared that he might have some disease 'cancer?'” "Well, yes, indeed, cancer. He couldn't shake the idea. He was living with the Templetons at the time. They persuaded him to go to London for specialist advice, and he did. Speaking of which, Miss Frances, I'm very open minded. The brilliant specialist who's been at the top of his game for years lashed out at the consultation and told Savage he didn't think Mr. Savage had cancer. Sir, but Mr. Savage is too superstitious of his own feelings to believe it when he hears it. So, Miss Frances, who is really unbiased and has some medical knowledge, I may see things differently. "

"If Mr Savage's symptoms made it difficult for the doctor to judge, the doctor might make a very serious grimace, talk about some expensive treatment, or reassure him that the cancer had metastasized, which made people feel that the situation was quite bad. Mr. Savage, having heard of instances in which doctors often hid the disease from their patients, interpreted it from his own point of view, thinking he had cancer. The doctor's assurances were false, and he really believed himself Suffering from this terminal illness." "In short, Mr Savage returned to Chipping Somerton with a heavy burden of spirit. He knew that he faced a painful and lingering death. I knew that some members of his family had died of cancer, and he was determined not to repeat it the suffering he had seen them suffer. He sent for a lawyer, a respected member of a well-known firm. The lawyer drew up a will for him, which Mr. Savage later The will was signed and sent to a lawyer for safekeeping. That very night, Mr. Savage took a large dose of chloral and left a letter explaining that he would rather die quickly and painlessly than May a painful and slow death die.

"In his will, Mr Savage left Mrs Templeton a tax-free bequest of £700,000, the remainder to several designated charities." Mr. Sprague leaned back in his chair, self-absorbed. "The jury trial was generally sympathetic and ruled a suicide of unsound mind. But I don't think we can dispute that, the question is whether he was unsound when he made the will. I don't think any jury would believe that. Will It was made in the presence of the lawyer, whose opinion is that the deceased was unquestionably of sound mind and sound mind. I do not think we can establish any element of illegality. Mr. Savage did not disinherit his next of kin, His only relatives are distant cousins, whom he rarely sees, who live in Australia." Mr. Sprague paused for a moment. "Mr Carstairs' contention is that such a will is completely out of character for Mr Savage. Mr Savage doesn't like charities at all and has always been a strong advocate of passing money to blood relatives. But Castel Mr. Smith has no documents to support these claims. As I pointed out to him, people change their minds. To fight this will, to deal with Mrs. Templeton, and to deal with charities. Will be tested." "There was no controversy?" Frankie asked. "As I said, Mr Savage's relatives do not live in this country and they know very little about the matter. It was Mr Carstairs who raised the question. He came back from a trip in the interior of Africa and gradually learned the details of the matter , came to England to see what could be done to settle the matter. I reluctantly told him that my opinion was helpless. Possession is the perfect characteristic of the law, and Mrs. Templeton was already in possession, and she was out of the country. , I see, to settle in the South of France. She refuses all contact in connection with the matter. I propose to seek advice from counsel, but Mr. Carstairs does not think it is necessary, and he takes my advice. , that is, there is nothing that can be done, or that what should be done should be done at that time, from my point of view, it is also very questionable, and it is too late to do this now." "I see," said Frankie, "so no one knows what happened to Mrs. Templeton?" Mr. Sprague shook his head and pursed his lips. "A man like Mr. Savage, who understands life, shouldn't be so gullible...but..." Mr. Sprague shook his head sadly, as if passing such a scene in his eyes: countless commissions Men ought to be sensible, and should come to Him to settle their cases privately. Frankie got up and said, "People are wonderful creatures." She held out her hand. "Goodbye, Mr. Sprague. You are wonderful, very wonderful. I am deeply ashamed." "You bright young men must be very careful," Mr. Sprague said to her, shaking his head. "You're a Patronus," said Frankie. She shook Mr. Sprague's hand warmly and left the place. Mr. Sprague sat down at the table again.He was thinking: "The young duke..." Only two dukes could do that. Which one is it? He picked up a copy of the "Nobility" directory.