This
will was contested by the family; a very complicated affair,
Beeching tells me. Mrs. Quodling, whose character was attacked,
declared that she knew Lord Polperro in an honourable way, and that
he had taken a great interest in her children--two young boys. Now
these boys were produced in court, then it was seen--excellent soup
this--that they bore little if any resemblance to each other; and at
the same time it was made evident, by exhibition of a portrait, that
the younger boy had a face with a strong likeness to the testator,
and many witnesses declared the same. Interesting, isn't it?"
"For the widow," remarked Gammon.
"Uncommonly awkward, though she gained her case for all that.
Polperro, it seems, had a shady reputation--heavy drinker, and so
on. There were strong characteristics--some peculiarity of the nose.
The old chap used to say that there was the nose of the Bourbons and
the nose of the Trefoyles, his family name."
"What name?"
"Trefoyle. Cornish, you know. Rum lot they always seem to have been.
Barony created by George III for some personal service.
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