The lawyer would have liked to continue his protest but the face of his client forbade. He crossed to his writing table, took up a pencil and a sheet of notepaper and said, "Miss Sarah's portion to Mrs. Cockburn except----"
"Five thousand pounds to Gertrude Preston."
The lawyer made a brief note. "Right," he said gravely. "I hope a codicil will be sufficient; we'll avoid a new instrument, if we can. You shall know when it's ready."
"Going to be war in Europe, do you think?" said the solicitor in a lighter, more conversational tone. It was merely to relieve the tension; somehow the atmosphere of the room was heavy and electric.
"Don't know," said Josiah. "But I'll not be surprised if there is--and a big one."
Mr. Mossop showed a courteous surprise. This question of a coming big war was a perennial subject for discussion in social and business circles. It had been for years and it had now come to rank in his mind as purely academic. He could not bring himself to believe in "the big burst up" that to some astute minds had long seemed inevitable.
"Any particular reason for thinking so just now?" To the lawyer it was hardly a live issue; somehow it was against all his habits of thought; but it was an act of charity at this moment to direct the mind of his client.
"Stands to reason," Josiah spoke with his usual decision. "Germany's got thousands of millions locked up in her army. She'll soon be looking for some return in the way of dividends."
"But one might say the same of us and our navy."
"That's how they speak of their army, don't they?--with Russia one side of them, France the other."
"I daresay, but"--there was a pause which, brief as it was, seemed to confer upon Mr. Munt an air of profound wisdom--"mark my words, Mossop, they're not piling up all these armaments for nothing. It's not their way."
"But they are so prosperous," said the lawyer. "They are hardly likely to risk the loss of their foreign markets."
"Nothing venture, nothing win. And they do say the German workingman is waking up and that he is asking for a share in the government."
"One hears all sorts of rumors, but in these matters one likes to be an optimist."
"I daresay," Josiah looked very dour. "But I'll tell you this. I'm main glad I got out of all my Continental investments a year last March."