Chapter 3 First O'Brien 1

Son of the Goddess, let us go with our destiny, wherever it pulls us or backwards.You must first go through perseverance before you can master your destiny. Virgil's "Aeneid" Book 5 709︱10 (﹡Albion, the ancient name of England.) * 【Solicitor】 The sky in London was gloomy, and it was raining softly.I made my way through the crowds on the sidewalks of Holborn Street, checking the signs with the map in my hand.kings road.Placket Street.The rain pooled into black puddles, reflecting white vans, black taxis and bright red buses. I turned left onto Sandy Street to Bedford Road, a road with a whole row of four-story King George terraced houses with brick fronts.There is a bronze plaque at the entrance of No. 11 that reads: Downing & Hooper, Solicitors.I pressed the intercom, shaking a bit and feeling dizzy, the two cups of coffee I had for breakfast didn't help.Looking up at the monitor, the top of the white doorpost at the door is in the Ionic style.

Good morning, what's the matter? I'm Tristan.Campbell, with James.Pitcherd has a date The door opened.The counter lady took my coat and led me into a waiting room with leather sofas. Please wait, Jeffrey will be right over. A few minutes later, she brought tea on a tray, a set of ceramic tea sets, and the tea was so hot that my tongue was skinned off, so I added some milk to it.I looked up, the lady at the counter was looking at me, our eyes met, and she smiled.I absently flip through the Financial Times on the coffee table, finish my tea, and turn over the teacup, which has the words SPODE COPELAND'S CHINA ENGLAND on the bottom.

Mr. Campbell, it's a pleasure to meet you at last. Kahn strode forward and took my hand.He was wearing a well-fitting suit of a deep navy blue, with well-polished brogues. Shall we go see James? Kahn led me up the tall wooden stairs, and there were large murals on the walls and ceiling: a king on horseback, with angels as heralds; the young goddess Britannia, holding a shield and a trident Praise. Two young men in ties came down the stairs, holding red-brown folders in their hands, and nodded solemnly as they stood next to us.I looked down at myself, only a wrinkled thrift store shirt and old trousers.

I dress like it's too casual. Kahn smiled and said: No, you are a client and we are lawyers, so we dress like this. We passed a corridor and came to two French doors. Kahn stopped and lowered his voice. Before we go in, let me say, of course you can call him James, he's not very polite, but I would like to suggest that when you answer questions Kahn hesitated. Be as straightforward as possible.From my personal experience, it doesn't help to be vague with James, he can see through it at a glance.If you're honest with him, he'll be honest with you, okay? great. Kahn showed a warm smile, knocked on the door, and led me in.This office is quite large, but the furnishings are very simple.The legs of the table are carved into the shape of lion's feet, and the documents on the table are neatly piled up.A leather sofa, some armchairs, and a large Persian rug.Pitcherd stood behind the table, concentrating on the paper in his hand.He has silver hair and wears a shirt with French cuffs, a vest, and a tie.He gestured to us, then walked back and forth between the window and the fireplace, never taking his eyes off the paper, until after he had signed the document and called the secretary to come in and take it away, he turned to us with a bright smile.

Pitcherd chanted a poem: If you can grasp the ruthless time, don't waste a minute and a second, run at full speed and get what you deserve He holds out his hand.I'm James.Pitchard, sorry to keep you waiting.The weather in London is what you'd expect. Pitcherd sat me in the armchair, and he and Kahn sat on the couch opposite.They have their legs crossed in the same direction, and several framed photos hang behind them.The black-and-white photo above Kahn's shoulder shows a bald man with a white moustache, his head slightly tilted toward the camera, a pipe in his hand, and a group of people swarming stiffly around him.

That's Clement.Attlee 1? 1. Clemment Attlee, 1883︱1967, British politician, former Labor Party leader and British Prime Minister. Pitcherd looked at me and said: Yes, he is our client. I pointed to a tall blond young man in the photo and said: Is this you? Pitcherd didn't look back at the photo, just nodded. Mr. Attlee's estate is handled by the most experienced lawyers. I can't help much, but they take care of the younger generation and are willing to let me sit in on it. Pitcherd paused, then added: Anyway, was the trip okay?Don't let Heathrow and British Airways mislead you, our charm lies elsewhere.Which hotel did they book for you?

Brown Hotel. Great, have you been to London? Just arrived last night. Well, let's go shopping before leaving, the Tower of London, Regent's Park, and the British Museum are all worth seeing. Pitcherd looked at Kahn. Kahn immediately said: non-disclosure agreement. Pitcherd said: Have you looked at it carefully? Yes. I heard Jeffrey say, you don't have a lawyer? right. Pitcher nodded.I think you've noticed that the agreement forbids any details of the case to be revealed, so there's no use in having a consultant.Can you sign it now?I cannot tell you the details of the case until the agreement is signed.

Kahn put the thick document on the coffee table and handed me his pen.I turned directly to the back and signed my name hastily.Kahn called a young woman in for a notary. Pitcherd reminded him: from now on, everything I say must be strictly confidential.Jeffrey, leave it to me. Kahn and the notary went out and closed the door.Pitcherd looked at me as if waiting for me to speak first. After a while, he smiled and said: Although it is unlikely, but are you familiar with the Everest expedition in the 1920s? 2. Mount Everest was named after the former director of the British Survey of India in 1865. It was not until recent years that the transliteration of Mount Everest or the free translation of Mount Everest began to become popular due to respect for Tibetan culture.

Discovery team? I don't blame you if you are not familiar with it. Jeffrey said that you majored in history, but this is probably not taught in universities now.Shall we go to the desk?I'm afraid it will take notes to explain. Pitcherd pulled up a chair for me to sit across the table from him.There is a lot of information, some typed, some handwritten. I've been reviewing the case all week, and you know, it's a big headache.I'll try to keep it simple and not bore you with too many details.But you have to understand what's wrong with the Worthingham estate because time is running out and the sooner you understand what's wrong the better.Most of what I'm going to tell you next is about Peter.Tang Ning's record, he is the executor of this legacy.Fortunately, Tangning took detailed notes. He was very clear from the beginning that this case was a headache.

Pichard put on his tortoiseshell-rimmed reading glasses and pored over the papers in front of him. Our client is Ashley.Walsingham, at the age of seventeen, was educated by his great-uncle George.Risley inherited a considerable amount of inheritance.That was in 1913.Risley is the founder of a shipping company, the company is very profitable.He has no children, and Ashley has no father, so he treats Ashley like his own grandson.After Risley's death, most of the estate went to Ashley.Peter.Tang Ning first managed Risley's estate, and later became the executor of Worthingham's estate.

Ashley entered Magdalene College, Cambridge, first term, 1914. Bad timing, eh?When war broke out in August, Ashley applied to enlist in the Army and was sent to France in the summer of 1916.During his last week in England he met a woman named Inmogene.Imogen Soames︱Andersson. Pitcherd looked up at me.Does this name mean anything to you? No. It's a pity, I was still holding out hope.Yin Mozhen is the younger sister of your great-grandmother Eleanor. I shake my head.I've never heard of either name, Soames. Soames︱Anderson, British surname plus Swedish surname, this is not an ordinary family.In Tangning's notes, there are many pages dedicated to recording the Soames-Anderson family.The father of the family is a Swedish diplomat and served as the chief deputy of the Swedish ambassador in London; the mother is British and a famous sculptor.They had two daughters, Eleanor and Inmogene.On the English side, the Soames side, was an artistic family, and the daughters had been brought up in a Bohemian fashion, and Ilinor became a pretty good painter. She is my great-grandmother? Pitcher frowned.Well, we'll talk about that later.Just mentioned that Ashley met Eleanor's sister Emmaine in August 1916. After a week of dating, Ashley was sent to France, but the two should still be in touch.In November 1916, Ashley was seriously injured in the Battle of the Somme. The military misreported that he had died in battle, so our company conveyed the news of his death to Yin Mozhen.Unexpectedly, a week later, she received news that he was still alive, so she immediately went to France and found Ashley in a hospital in Alberta.The place was very close to the front line. The two met in a hurry and had a fight. At least that's what Ashley told Tangning.Yin Mozhen disappeared after that, and as far as we know, she did not return to England and has since disappeared. What's up with her? Pitcherd took off his glasses. have no idea.I don't think we'll ever know either.Soames︱Miss Anderson's personality is quite impulsive, at least Tangning thinks so.From his notes, I think he thought she was unpredictable and wished Ashley hadn't met her.There have been many speculations about her disappearance, none of which have been confirmed.Ashley believed that she was still alive, and had told Tangning many times. Pitcherd checked his watch and put his glasses back on. I left out the most important part, climbing.When Ashley was studying at Charterhouse, there was a man named Hugh.Price's teacher was a famous mountaineer who took him to climb mountains in Wales and the Alps in summer.In 1915 Ashley was elected to the British Mountaineering Association and in the early 1920s he was said to be one of the best mountaineers in England.In 1924, Ashley obtained the qualification for the third British Everest Expedition, and before going to Tibet via India, he came to our office to ask Tang Ning to revise his will.Originally, his inheritance was mainly left to his mother, but he asked Tangning to revise the will and leave most of the inheritance to Yin Mozhen. I thought she was missing He had been missing for seven years. Can an inheritance be left to a missing person? Why not?Not illegal, just a bad idea.Of course, Tangning advised him not to change it, but Ashley insisted on entrusting the money until Yin Mozhen or her immediate blood relatives came forward to claim it.The term of this trust is 80 years. If no one claims it for 80 years, it will be distributed to other different beneficiaries, including the Ashmore Museum, the British Mountaineering Association, and several rural churches in Berkshire.The purpose of this clause is to ensure that the inheritance will not be taken away by others during Yin Mozhen's lifetime, nor will it be confiscated by the royal family. Pitcherd turned the paper over on the table. On June 7, 1924, Ashley.Walsingham was caught in a storm while attacking the summit and died on Mount Everest.His mother accepted her share of the inheritance, but Yin Mozhen never showed up.Decades have passed, and we thought to ourselves that when the eighty years are over, these inheritances will be distributed, and we have even drafted the documents.But last month there was a variable. Well, Mr. Campbell, Eleanor's paintings have started to get noticed in the last few years, but I guess that has less to do with her work than with connections.She was evidently very close to the Camden District Art Society and to certain famous French painters.Last month a postgraduate student was looking through Eleanor's letters in the British Museum and noticed something, and that letter ended up reaching us.And we believe it has something to do with Yin Mozhen. Pitcherd picked up a photocopy of the letter from the table. This letter may explain why Walsingham left the money to Yinmazhen and her direct descendants.Note that her sister or parents are not included, only descendants. He pushed the paper towards the table. This letter was written by Eleanor to her husband in 1925, and what C was referring to, of course, was Ling's grandmother.She was eight at the time and appeared to be having some difficulty at school. The paper was a facsimile of the last page of the letter, in rich but legible handwriting. □□□ Francis thinks that I can get at least 8,000 francs for my portrait of Smith, if it is not damaged during the transportation, but I am afraid it will be difficult to avoid damage, because it has a special shape, and the packing level is not high. good.He said Brogner would buy it as soon as he saw it, but I wasn't sure about that. I heard that C did something stupid again, of course I was worried.Yes, Miss Evans was a bit stupid and had little empathy for C, but it was undeniable that the child was reckless and easily distracted.Of course, we've always given her the best upbringing we could and we've been kind to her, and always will be.As the days passed, she became more and more like her mother, both in appearance and temper. It's funny to say, I don't know what I will think, C's temperament is probably destined to be like this, I'm afraid we can't change it no matter how we raise it.I have to admit that I have been away for so many years, and sometimes I have to admit that I cherish C's stubbornness.I just hope she doesn't end up like her mother. I have to stop writing, the porter announced that Madame Boudin, who is not afraid of anything, has come.He has spoken for the second time. Burn the letter. I love you, Eleanor I returned the letter to Pitcherd.He took off his glasses and leaned back. Do you understand the implication? My grandmother's mother was Inmogene, not Eleanor. Pitcher nodded.You are her only surviving descendant, it is a great fortune to keep this letter until now, but it is a pity that it does not play any role in law, and Yin Mozhen's name is not even clearly stated in the letter. it seems obvious to me But it is not necessarily true, for many reasons, so a single letter is not legally tenable, we need more supporting documents. For example? An official document that connects my grandmother to Yin Mozhen.However, since they went to such lengths to conceal Ling's grandmother's life experience, it is likely that such documents no longer exist.If you don't have a birth certificate, you can find more such documents and put them together, which can be regarded as strong evidence.But one letter is definitely not enough, far from enough. I thought about it. Her father is this Worthingham? Maybe, and that makes sense. I don't get it, do you think I can find something like this? Pitcherd got up and circled the room. We are now in a desperate situation anyway, there is no other way.The Worthingham Trust is particularly concerned about privacy, so trustees are also subject to many restrictions if they want to investigate.Mr. Worthingham believed that Emmaine would receive the inheritance herself, and he did not want anyone to pry into their private affairs, and this letter clearly shows why.In summary, the terms of the trust expressly prohibit us from engaging third parties for any assistance.Eighty years, no probate, no private investigators, nothing. Pitcherd stood still in front of the high window, shaking his head. It's maddening to say that I'm nearing retirement and this has never been resolved.Mr. Downing always said that the Worthingham estate would be given away sooner or later. With such a high amount, an heir would definitely appear.But that person never showed up.You are the first person who deserves to know about this trust, and honestly, even this is not easy.Also, even if you have the potential to be the heir, you must abide by the terms of confidentiality and cannot hire helpers like us.Seriously, maybe the evidence isn't that hard to find, it's just that we don't know enough because the contracts are too restrictive.We know the truth is out there somewhere, but we can't look it up. Pitcherd looked at me. But you are different, you can check whatever you like. He turned again to face out the window.A burst of torrential rain fell, and the rainwater flowed on the window panes, and the passers-by downstairs rushed to find a place to hide from the rain. When the company took the Worthingham case, I just came in, that was forty-one years ago in March.I want to close the case before I retire, and hope to close the case according to the client's wishes, and he doesn't really want to give the money to the church and museum.You can imagine my delight at learning of this letter and of your existence.This case is also handed down to me, and I don't want to fail. But I don't know how to proceed. Pitcher nodded.Let me give you a little advice.If there is any evidence of your relationship with Yin Mozhen, it should not be government files or the like.Of course you can look in that direction, but Jeffrey and I have searched all the materials in the Lingtang and the documents that the trustee can find within the limits of the contract.Yin Mozhen had no relevant documents after 1916. She searched everything she could, but found nothing. Pitcherd pointed at the photocopy. This letter is a major breakthrough, a clue that you should follow, no one has known so much in eighty years, and no one has had so much freedom to pursue it, you know what I mean? It's incredible. That's right.But it's also a mess, and I've come to you to clean it up.No thanks in advance, because I haven't told you the worst part yet.Today is August 16th, right? Pitcherd sat down at the table and picked up another sheet of paper. Ashley.Walsingham died in June, 1924, and the news was published in British newspapers on the 21st. After hearing the news, Tang Ning immediately tried to contact Yin Mozhen, but of course she couldn't.Accordingly, the Worthingham estate entered trust on 7 October 1924.Do you remember the time limit is eighty years Only two months left. Pitcherd looked at me. almost.If no one inherits this inheritance, it will be donated to a public welfare organization on October 7th, that is to say, your time is only about seven weeks.You understand now why I insist on you coming to London at once.Listen, this letter is only here now, and it might feel like you're out of luck, but if it's two months away, it'd be even worse.A pessimist would say you only have seven weeks to find what no one else can find in eighty years Pichard leaned forward, a wry smile flitting across his lips. Mr. Campbell, let me ask you, you're not a pessimist, are you? I hesitated.I have no idea. You speak like a real Englishman.As for me, I am confident that you will have results by October, not necessarily evidence, because we are not sure if there is evidence to be found, but as long as you follow the lines, you can always find what you can find . Pitcherd pressed a button on the phone and asked Kahn to come in. As always, Jeffrey will explain the details to you, and you can turn to him for all trivial matters.Good luck. Pitcherd got up, and I stood up awkwardly, and followed him to the door.He shook my hand again. If there's anything I can do to help, just call, you're welcome.