At five minutes to eleven we entered Mr. Trent's office.  Father would not go a moment earlier, as he said it was bad form to seem eager at any time, but most of all at the reading of a will.  It was a rotten grind, for we had to be walking all over the neighbourhood for half an hour before it was time, not to be too early.

When we went into the room we found there General Sir Colin MacKelpie and a big man, very bronzed, whom I took to be Rupert St. Leger--not a very creditable connection to look at, I thought!  He and old MacKelpie took care to be in time!  Rather low, I thought it.  Mr. St. Leger was reading a letter.  He had evidently come in but lately, for though he seemed to be eager about it, he was only at the first page, and I could see that there were many sheets.  He did not look up when we came in, or till he had finished the letter; and you may be sure that neither I nor my father (who, as Head of the House, should have had more respect from him) took the trouble to go to him.  After all, he is a pauper and a wastrel, and he has not the honour of bearing our Name.  The General, however, came forward and greeted us both cordially.  He evidently had forgotten--or pretended to have--the discourteous way he once treated me, for he spoke to me quite in a friendly way--I thought more warmly than he did to father.  I was pleased to be spoken to so nicely, for, after all, whatever his manners may be, he is a distinguished man--has won the V.C. and a Baronetcy.  He got the latter not long ago, after the Frontier War in India.  I was not, however, led away into cordiality myself.  I had not forgotten his rudeness, and I thought that he might be sucking up to me.  I knew that when I had my dear Uncle Roger's many millions I should be a rather important person; and, of course, he knew it too.  So I got even with him for his former impudence.  When he held out his hand I put one finger in it and said, "How do?"  He got very red and turned away.  Father and he had ended by glaring at each other, so neither of us was sorry to be done with him.  All the time Mr. St. Leger did not seem to see or hear anything, but went on reading his letter.  I thought the old MacSkelpie was going to bring him into the matter between us, for as he turned away I heard him say something under his breath.  It sounded like "Help!" but Mr. S--- did not hear.  He certainly took no notice of it.As the MacS--- and Mr. S--- sat quite silent, neither looking at us, and as father was sitting on the other side of the room with his chin in his hand, and as I wanted to show that I was indifferent to the two S's, I took out this notebook, and went on with the Record, bringing it up to this moment.

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