The Mansion, 158 (Event)

Ratliff recaps the "facts" he has already established in his narrative, from Flem's use of the Old Frenchman Place to his latest scheme to take the bank presidency from Manfred. Ratliff then speculates that what Flem brought down to Frenchman's Bend was a will that Linda had gotten drawn up while at university in Oxford. While this event includes many names and places, Ratliff concentrates particularly on Linda and Flem, giving her reason for having the will drawn up and effectively signing over her share of the Varner inheritance to Flem.