Whentheboyreachedthemostfascinatingageofchildhood，andhisshoutsoflaughterranthroughStaplefordHousefromendtoend，theremorsethatoppressedTimothyPetrickknewnobounds。OfallpeopleintheworldthisRupertwastheoneonwhomhecouldhavewishedtheestatestodevolve；yetRupert，byTimothy\'sowndesperatestrategyatthetimeofhisbirth，hadbeenoustedfromallinheritanceofthem；and，sincehedidnotmeantoremarry，themanorswouldpasstohisbrotherandhisbrother\'schildren，whowouldbenothingtohim，whoseboastedpedigreeononesidewouldbenothingtohisRupert\'s。
Hadheonlyleftthefirstwillofhisgrandfatheralone!
Hismindranonthewillscontinually，bothofwhichwereinexistence，andthefirst，thecancelledone，inhisownpossession。
Nightafternight，whentheservantswereallabed，andtheclickofsafetylockssoundedasloudasacrash，helookedatthatfirstwill，andwishedithadbeenthesecondandnotthefirst。
Thecrisiscameatlast。Onenight，afterhavingenjoyedtheboy\'scompanyforhours，hecouldnolongerbearthathisbelovedRupertshouldbedispossessed，andhecommittedthefeloniousdeedofalteringthedateoftheearlierwilltoafortnightlater，whichmadeitsexecutionappearsubsequenttothedateofthesecondwillalreadyproved。Hethenboldlypropoundedthefirstwillasthesecond。