The circumstances were perfectly clear and admit of no misrepresentation.” “Perfectly, perfectly,” said Poirot quickly.
“But you will not, I am sure, object to Just repeating them so that I can envisage the situation clearly.” The lawyer bowed his head.
“I am at your service.” Poirot began: “Miss Arundell wrote to you giving you instructions on the seventeenth of April, I believe?” Mr. Pur vis consulted some papers on the table before him.
“Yes, that is correct.” “Can you tell me what she said?” “She asked me to draw up a will. There were to be legacies to two servants and to three or four charities. The rest other estate was to pass to Wilhelmina Lawson absolutely.”
“You will pardon me, Mr. Pur vis, but you were surprised?” “I will admit that–yes, I was surprised.” “Miss Arundell had made a will previously?”
“Yes, she had made a will five years ago.” “That will, after certain small legacies, left her property to her nephew and nieces?” “The bulk of her estate was to be divided equally between the children of her brother Thomas and the daughter of Arabella Biggs, her sister.” “What has happened to that will?” “At Miss ArundelFs request I brought it with me when I visited her at Littlegreen House on April 21st.” “I should be much obliged to you, Mr.
Pur vis, if you would give me a full descnption of everything that occurred on that occasion.”
The lawyer paused for a minute or two.
Then he said, very precisely: “I arrived at Littlegreen House at three o’clock in the afternoon. One of my clerks accompanied me. Miss Arundell received me in the drawing-room.” “How did she look to you?” “She seemed to me in good health in spite of the fact that she was walking with a stick.
That, I understand, was on account of a fall she had recently. Her general health, as I say, seemed good. She struck me as slightly nervous and over-excited in manner.” “Was Miss Lawson with her?” “She was with her when I arrived. But she left us immediately.” “And then?” “Miss Arundell asked me if I had done what she had asked me to do, and if I had brought the new will with me for her to sign.
“I said I had done so. I–er–” He hesitated for a minute or two, then went on stiffly: “I may as well say that, as far as it was proper for me to do so, I remonstrated with Miss Arundell. I pointed out to her that this new will might be regarded as grossly unfair to her family who were, after all, her own flesh and blood.” “And her answer?” “She asked me if the money was or was not her own to do with as she liked. I replied that certainly that was the case. ‘Very well then 5’ she said. I reminded her that she had known this Miss Lawson a very short time, and I asked her if she was quite sure that the injustice she was doing to her own family was legitimate. Her reply was, ‘My dear friend, I know perfectly what I am doing.5 ” “Her manner was excited, you say.” “I think I can definitely say that it was, but understand me, M. Poirot, she was in full possession of her faculties. She was in every sense of the word fully competent to manage her own affairs. Though my sympathies are entirely with Miss ArundelFs family, I should be obliged to maintain that in any court of law.” “That is quite understood. Proceed, I pray of you.” “Miss Arundell read through her existing will. Then she stretched out her hand for the one I had had drawn up. I may say that I would have preferred to submit a draft first, but she had impressed upon me that the will must be brought her ready to sign.
That presented no difficulties as its provisions were so simple. She read it through, nodded her head, and said she would sign it straightaway. I felt it my duty to enter one last protest. She heard me out quite patiently, but said that her mind was quite made up. I called in my clerk and he and the gardener acted as witnesses to her signature.