Page:Last Will and Testament of Cecil Rhodes.djvu/118

104 Rhodes that he had better explain the change which he was making in his will to “X.” while he was here in London.

“No,” he said, “my letter will make it quite plain to him.”

“Well,” I said, “but there may be trouble. When the will is opened, and he discovers that the money is left really at my disposition, instead of at his, there may be ructions.”

“I don’t mind that,” said Mr. Rhodes; “I shall be gone then.”

The will then drawn up was revoked in 1893.

In 1892 Mr. Rhodes was back in London, and again the question of the disposition of his fortune came up, and he determined to make a fifth will. Before he gave his final instructions he discussed with me the question whether there should not be a third party added, so that we should be three. We discussed one or two names, and he afterwards told me that he had added Mr. Hawksley as a third party. His reasons for doing this were that he liked Mr. Hawksley, and had explained, expounded, and discussed his views with him, and found him sympathetic. He went on to say:—“I think it is best that it should be left so. You know my ideas, and will carry them out. But there will be a great deal of financial administration that “X.” will look after. Many legal questions will be involved, and these you can safely leave in the hands of Mr. Hawksley.”

And so it was that when the fifth will, drafted in 1892, was signed by Mr. Rhodes in 1893, “X.,” Mr. Hawksley and myself were left sole executors and joint-heirs of Mr. Rhodes’s fortune, with the understanding that I was the custodian of the Rhodesian ideas, that I was to decide as to the method in which the money was to be used according to these ideas, subject to the advice of ‘‘X.” on financial matters, and of Mr. Hawksley on matters of law.

In 1894 Mr. Rhodes came to England and again discussed with me the working of the scheme, reported to me his impressions of the various Ministers and leaders of Opposition whom he met, discussing each of them from the point of view as to how far he would assist in carrying out “our ideas.” We also discussed together various projects for propaganda, the formation of libraries, the creation of lectureships, the