pgw.uneasymoney-第5部分

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e　chimed　in　with　her　discontented　mood　at　that　moment　a　sudden　flight　to　America　was　the　most　alluring。　Only　one　consideration　held　her　backshe　had　not　the　money　for　her　fare。
　Polly　might　have　thought　of　that；　she　reflected；　bitterly。　She　took　the　letter　up　again　and　saw　that　on　the　last　page　there　was　a　postscript
　PS。I　don't　know　how　you　are　fixed　for　money；　old　girl；　but　if　things　are　the　same　with　you　as　in　the　old　days　you　can't　be　rolling。　So　I　have　paid　for　a　passage　for　you　with　the　liner　people　this　side；　and　they　have　cabled　their　English　office；　so　you　can　sail　whenever　you　want　to。　e　right　over。
　An　hour　later　the　manager　of　the　Southampton　branch　of　the　White　Star　Line　was　dazzled　by　an　apparition；　a　beautiful　girl　who　burst　in　upon　him　with　flushed　face　and　shining　eyes；　demanding　a　berth　on　the　steamship　_Atlantic_　and　talking　about　a　Lady　Wetherby。　Ten　minutes　later；　her　passage　secured；　Claire　was　walking　to　the　local　theatre　to　inform　those　in　charge　of　the　destinies　of　The　Girl　and　the　Artist　number　one　pany　that　they　must　look　elsewhere　for　a　substitute　for　Miss　Claudia　Winslow。　Then　she　went　back　to　her　hotel　to　write　a　letter　home；　notifying　her　mother　of　her　plans。
　She　looked　at　her　watch。　It　was　six　o'clock。　Back　in　West　Kensington　a　rich　smell　of　dinner　would　be　floating　through　the　flat；　the　cook；　watching　the　boiling　cabbage；　would　be　singing　A　Few　More　Years　Shall　Roll；　her　mother　would　be　sighing；　and　her　little　brother　Percy　would　be　employed　upon　some　juvenile　deviltry；　the　exact　nature　of　which　it　was　not　possible　to　conjecture；　though　one　could　be　certain　that　it　would　be　something　involving　a　deafening　noise。
　Claire　smiled　a　happy　smile。
　
　4
　The　offices　of　Messrs　Nichols；　Nichols；　Nichols；　and　Nichols　were　in　Lincoln's　Inn　Fields。　The　first　Nichols　had　been　dead　since　the　reign　of　King　William　the　Fourth；　the　second　since　the　jubilee　year　of　Queen　Victoria。　The　remaining　brace　were　Lord　Dawlish's　friend　Jerry　and　his　father；　a　formidable　old　man　who　knew　all　the　shady　secrets　of　all　the　noble　families　in　England。
　Bill　walked　up　the　stairs　and　was　shown　into　the　room　where　Jerry；　when　his　father's　eye　was　upon　him；　gave　his　daily　imitation　of　a　young　man　labouring　with　diligence　and　enthusiasm　at　the　law。　His　father　being　at　the　moment　out　at　lunch；　the　junior　partner　was　practising　putts　with　an　umbrella　and　a　ball　of　paper。
　Jerry　Nichols　was　not　the　typical　lawyer。　At　Cambridge；　where　Bill　had　first　made　his　acquaintance；　he　had　been　notable　for　an　exuberance　of　which　Lincoln's　Inn　Fields　had　not　yet　cured　him。　There　was　an　airy　disregard　for　legal　formalities　about　him　which　exasperated　his　father；　an　attorney　of　the　old　school。　He　came　to　the　point；　directly　Bill　entered　the　room；　with　a　speed　and　levity　that　would　have　appalled　Nichols　Senior；　and　must　have　caused　the　other　two　Nicholses　to　revolve　in　their　graves。
　'Halloa；　Bill；　old　man；'　he　said；　prodding　him　amiably　in　the　waistcoat　with　the　ferrule　of　the　umbrella。　'How's　the　boy？　Fine！　So'm　I。　So　you　got　my　message？　Wonderful　invention；　the　telephone。'
　'I've　just　e　from　the　club。'
　'Take　a　chair。'
　'What's　the　matter？'
　Jerry　Nichols　thrust　Bill　into　a　chair　and　seated　himself　on　the　table。
　'Now　look　here；　Bill；'　he　said；　'this　isn't　the　way　we　usually　do　this　sort　of　thing；　and　if　the　governor　were　here　he　would　spend　an　hour　and　a　half　rambling　on　about　testators　and　beneficiary　legatees；　and　parties　of　the　first　part；　and　all　that　sort　of　rot。　But　as　he　isn't　here　I　want　to　know；　as　one　pal　to　another；　what　you've　been　doing　to　an　old　buster　of　the　name　of　Nutbe。'
　'Nutbe？'
　'Nutbe。'
　'Not　Ira　Nutbe？'
　'Ira　J。　Nutbe；　formerly　of　Chicago；　later　of　London；　now　a　disembodied　spirit。'
　'Is　he　dead？'
　'Yes。　And　he's　left　you　something　like　a　million　pounds。'
　Lord　Dawlish　looked　at　his　watch。
　'Joking　apart；　Jerry；　old　man；'　he　said；　'what　did　you　ask　me　to　e　here　for？　The　mittee　expects　me　to　spend　some　of　my　time　at　the　club；　and　if　I　hang　about　here　all　the　afternoon　I　shall　lose　my　job。　Besides；　I've　got　to　get　back　to　ask　them　for'
　Jerry　Nichols　clutched　his　forehead　with　both　hands；　raised　both　hands　to　heaven；　and　then；　as　if　despairing　of　calming　himself　by　these　means；　picked　up　a　paper…weight　from　the　desk　and　hurled　it　at　a　portrait　of　the　founder　of　the　firm；　which　hung　over　the　mantelpiece。　He　got　down　from　the　table　and　crossed　the　room　to　inspect　the　ruins。
　Then；　having　taken　a　pair　of　scissors　and　cut　the　cord；　he　allowed　the　portrait　to　fall　to　the　floor。
　He　rang　the　bell。　The　prematurely…aged　office…boy；　who　was　undoubtedly　destined　to　bee　a　member　of　the　firm　some　day；　answered　the　ring。
　'Perkins。'
　'Yes；　sir？'
　'Inspect　yonder　_soufflee_。'
　'Yes；　sir。'
　'You　have　observed　it？'
　'Yes；　sir。'
　'You　are　wondering　how　it　got　there？'
　'Yes；　sir。'
　'I　will　tell　you。　You　and　I　were　in　here；　discussing　certain　legal　minutiae　in　the　interests　of　the　firm；　when　it　suddenly　fell。　We　both　saw　it　and　were　very　much　surprised　and　startled。　I　soothed　your　nervous　system　by　giving　you　this　half…crown。　The　whole　incident　was　very　painful。　Can　you　remember　all　this　to　tell　my　father　when　he　es　in？　I　shall　be　out　lunching　then。'
　'Yes；　sir。'
　'An　admirable　lad　that；'　said　Jerry　Nichols　as　the　door　closed。　'He　has　been　here　two　years；　and　I　have　never　heard　him　say　anything　except　〃Yes；　sir。〃　He　will　go　far。　Well；　now　that　I　am　calmer　let　us　return　to　your　little　matter。　Honestly；　Bill；　you　make　me　sick。　When　I　contemplate　you　the　iron　enters　my　soul。　You　stand　there　talking　about　your　tuppenny…ha'penny　job　as　if　it　mattered　a　cent　whether　you　kept　it　or　not。　Can't　you　understand　plain　English？　Can't　you　realize　that　you　can　buy　Brown's　and　turn　it　into　a　moving…picture　house　if　you　like？　You're　a　millionaire！'
　Bill's　face　expressed　no　emotion　whatsoever。　Outwardly　he　appeared　unmoved。　Inwardly　he　was　a　riot　of　bewilderment；　incapable　of　speech。　He　stared　at　Jerry　dumbly。
　'We've　got　the　will　in　the　old　oak　chest；'　went　on　Jerry　Nichols。　'I　won't　show　it　to　you；　partly　because　the　governor　has　got　the　key　and　he　would　have　a　fit　if　he　knew　that　I　was　giving　you　early　information　like　this；　and　partly　because　you　wouldn't　understand　it。　It　is　full　of　〃whereases〃　and　〃peradventures〃　and　〃heretofores〃　and　similar　swank；　and　there　aren't　any　stops　in　it。　It　takes　the　legal　mind；　like　mine；　to　tackle　wills。　What　it　says；　when　you've　peeled　off　a　few　of　the　long　words　which　they　put　in　to　make　it　more　interesting；　is　that　old　Nutbe　leaves　you　the　money　because　you　are　the　only　man　who　ever　did　him　a　disinterested　kindnessand　what　I　want　to　get　out　of　you　is；　what　was　the　disinterested　kindness？　Because　I'm　going　straight　out　to　do　it　to　every　elderly；　rich…looking　man　I　can　find　till　I　pick　a　winner。'
　Lord　Dawlish　found　speech。
　'Jerry；　is　this　really　true？'
　'Gospel。'
　'You　aren't　pulling　my　leg？'
　'Pulling　your　leg？　Of　course　I'm　not　pulling　your　leg。　What　do　you　take　me　for？　I'm　a　dry；　hard…headed　lawyer。　The　firm　of　Nichols；　Nichols；　Nichols；　and　Nichols　doesn't　go　about　pulling　people's　legs！'
　'Good　Lord！'
　'It　appears　from　the　will　that　you　worked　this　disinterested　gag；　whatever　it　was；　at　Marvis　Bay　no　longer　ago　than　last　year。　Wherein　you　showed　a　lot　of　sense；　for　Ira　J。；　having　altered　his　will　in　your　favour；　apparently　had　no　time　before　he　died　to　alter　it　again　in　somebody　else's；　which　he　would　most　certainly　have　done　if　he　had　lived　long　enough；　for　his　chief　recreation　seems　to　have　been　making　his　will。　To　my　certain　knowledge　he　has　made　three　in　the　last　two　years。　I've　seen　them。　He　was　one　of　those　confirmed　will…makers。　He　got　the　habit　at　an　early　age；　and　was　never　able　to　shake　it　off。　Do　you　remember　anything　about　the　man？'
　'It　isn't　possible！'
　'Anything's　possible　with　a　man　cracked　enough　to　make　freak　wills　and　not　cracked　enough　to　have　them　disputed　on　the　ground　of　insanity。　What　did　you　do　to　him　at　Marvis　Bay？　Save　him　from　drowning？'
　'I　cured　him　of　slicing。'
　'You　did　what？'
　'He　used　to　slice　his　approach　shots。　I　cured　him。'
　'The　thing　begins　to　hang　together。　A　certain　plausibility　creeps　into　it。　The　late　Nutbe　was　crazy　about　golf。　The　governor　used　to　play　with　him　now　and　then　at　Walton　Heath。　It　was　the　only　thing　Nutbe　seemed　to　live　for。　That　being　so；　if　you　got　rid　of　his　slice　for　him　it　seems　to　me；　that　you　earned　your　money。　The　only　point　that　occurs　to　me　is；　how　does　it　affect　your　amateur　status？　It　looks　to　me　as　if　you　were　now　a　pro。'
　'But；　Jerry；　it's　absurd。　All　I　did　was　to　give　him　a　tip　or　two。　We　were　the　only　men　down　there；　as　it　was　out　of　the　season；　and　that　drew　us　together。　And　when　I　spotted　this　slice　of　his　I　just　gave　him　a　bit　of　advice。　I　give　you　my　word　that　was　all。　He　can't　have　left　me　a　fortune　on　the　strength　of　that！'
　'You　don't　tell　the　story　right；　Bill。　I　can　guess　what　really　happenedto　wit；　that　you　gave　up　all　your　time　to　helping　the　old　fellow　improve　his　game；　regardless　of　the　fact　that　it　pletely　ruined　your　holiday。'
　'Oh；　no！'
　'It's　no　use　sitting　there　saying　〃Oh；　no！〃　I　can　see　you　at　it。　The　fact　is；　you're　such　an　infernally　good　chap　that　something　of　this　sort　was　bound　to　happen　to　you　sooner　or　later。　I　think　making　you　his　heir　was　the　only　sensible　thing　old　Nutbe　ever　did。　In　his　place　I'd　have　done　the　same。'
　'But　he　didn't　even　seem　decently　grateful　at　the　time。'
　'Probably　not。　He　was　a　queer　old　bird。　He　had　a　most　almighty　row　with　the　governor　in　this　office　only　a　month　or　two　ago　about　absolutely　nothing。　They　disagreed　about　something　trivial；　and　old　Nutbe　stalked　out　and　never　came　in　again。　That's　the　sort　of　old　bird　he　was。'
　'Was　he　sane；　do　you　think？'
　'Absolutely；　for　legal　purposes。　We　have　three　opinions　from　leading　doctorscollected　by　him　in　case　of　accidents；　I　supposeeach　of　which　declares　him　perfectly　sound　from　the　collar　upward。　But　a　man　can　be　pretty　far　gone；　you　know；　without　being　legally　insane；　and　old　Nutbewell；　suppose　we　call　him　whimsical。　He　seems　to　have　zigzagged　between　the　normal　and　the　eccentric。
　'His　only　surviving　relatives　appear　to　be　a　nephew　and　a