"At the same time I must remain with my prisoner, and I am bound to warn him that anything he may say will appear in evidence against him.""I wish nothing better," said our client."All I ask is that you should hear and recognise the absolute truth."Lestrade looked at his watch."I'll give you half an hour,"said he.
"I must explain first," said McFarlane, "that I knew nothing of Mr.Jonas Oldacre.His name was familiar to me, for many years ago my parents were acquainted with him, but they drifted apart.
I was very much surprised, therefore, when yesterday, about three o'clock in the afternoon, he walked into my office in the City.But I was still more astonished when he told me the object of his visit.He had in his hand several sheets of a note-book, covered with scribbled writing -- here they are -- and he laid them on my table.
"`Here is my will,' said he.`I want you, Mr.McFarlane, to cast it into proper legal shape.I will sit here while you do so.'
"I set myself to copy it, and you can imagine my astonishment when I found that, with some reservations, he had left all his property to me.He was a strange little, ferret-like man, with white eyelashes, and when I looked up at him I found his keen grey eyes fixed upon me with an amused expression.I could hardly believe my own senses as I read the terms of the will;but he explained that he was a bachelor with hardly any living relation, that he had known my parents in his youth, and that he had always heard of me as a very deserving young man, and was assured that his money would be in worthy hands.Of course, I could only stammer out my thanks.The will was duly finished, signed, and witnessed by my clerk.This is it on the blue paper, and these slips, as I have explained, are the rough draft.
Mr.Jonas Oldacre then informed me that there were a number of documents -- building leases, title-deeds, mortgages, scrip, and so forth -- which it was necessary that I should see and understand.He said that his mind would not be easy until the whole thing was settled, and he begged me to come out to his house at Norwood that night, bringing the will with me, and to arrange matters.`Remember, my boy, not one word to your parents about the affair until everything is settled.We will keep it as a little surprise for them.' He was very insistent upon this point, and made me promise it faithfully.