"
Then followed a clause giving his clothes to Chad, his seal and chain
to Fitz, and his fowling-piece to me.
When the document was finished, the colonel signed it in a bold, round
hand, and attested it by a burning puddle of red wax into which he
plunged the old family seal. Fitz and I duly witnessed it, and then
the colonel, with the air of a man whose mind had been suddenly relieved
of some great pressure, locked the important document in his drawer,
and handed the key to Fitz.
The change now in the colonel's manner was quite in keeping with the
expression of his face. All his severe dignity, all the excess of
responsibility and apparent studied calmness, were gone. He even became
buoyant enough to light a pipe.
Presently he gave a little start as if suddenly remembering something
until that moment overlooked, then he lighted a candle, and mounted
the stairs to his bedroom. In a few minutes he returned, carrying in
both hands a mysterious-looking box. This he placed with great care
on the table, and proceeded to unlock with a miniature key attached
to a bunch which he invariably carried in his trousers pocket.
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