The Interrupted Kiss Author:Richard Marsh General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1909 Original Publisher: Cassell Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select ... more »from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: CHAPTER V The Will Which Was Produced And The Will Which Wasn't The tragedy occurred on Friday night; the coroner commenced his inquest on the following Tuesday ; John Culver was buried on the Thursday. It looked at first as if a Mr. Fincham, who had acted as a sort of confidential clerk, and Isaac Lazarus, a solicitor, would be the only mourners. But, almost at the last moment, Mrs. Harmar induced her husband to go, and, at Harmar's suggestion, Rupert Earle went to keep him company. " The idea," Earle told him, " of my figuring as a mourner at John Culver's funeral is something more than the height of the ridiculous." " You've as much reason to mourn as I have," was Harmar's retort. A great crowd was at the grave, drawn, doubtless, for the most part by vulgar curiosity, though among them were some, not friends -- John Culver had no friends -- but chiefly neighbours, who wished to show, by their presence, sympathy on so tragic an occasion. Whether the sympathy was intended to be shown to the one who had gone, or to those who were left, was doubtful. After the funeral there assembled in the morning- room at Timberham four persons : Mrs. Harmar and Miss Grahame, as representing John Culver's only known relations; Edwin Harmar, as the husband of one of the ladies; and Isaac Lazarus, as the man of law. Rupert Earle had been asked to be present, but, declining, had betaken himself he alone knew where. Mr. Lazarus was short and puny, with carefully trimmed moustache and curly black locks. He wore a flourishing air, and a diamond ring on his right hand little finger. A pair o...« less