"Quite so, quite so," said the learned Registrar. "Well, has Miss Smithers
got the will? Perhaps she will produce it."
"Miss Smithers _is_ the will," said Mr. John Short.
"Oh--I am afraid that I do not quite understand"--
"To be more precise, Sir, the will is tattooed on Miss Smithers."
"_What_?" almost shouted the learned Doctor, literally bounding from
his chair.
"The will is tattooed upon Miss Smithers's back," continued Mr. John
Short, in a perfectly unmoved tone; "and it is now my duty to offer you
inspection of the document, and to take your instructions as to how you
propose to file it in the Registry"--
"Inspection of the document--inspection of the document?" gasped the
astonished Doctor; "How am I to inspect the document?"
"I must leave that to you, Sir," said Mr. John Short, regarding the
learned Registrar's shrinking form with contempt not unmixed with pity.
"The will is on the lady's back, and I, on behalf of the plaintiff, mean
to get a grant with the document annexed."
Lady Holmhurst began to laugh; and as for the learned Doctor, anything
more absurd than he looked, intrenched as he was behind his office chair,
with perplexity written on his face, it would be impossible to imagine.
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