pgw.uneasymoney-第40部分

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bility　hard　to　withstand。　Plausible！　That　was　the　devil　of　it。　By　no　effort　could　he　blind　himself　to　the　fact　that　they　were　that。　In　the　light　of　Claire's　insinuations　what　had　seemed　coincidences　took　on　a　more　sinister　character。　It　had　seemed　to　him　an　odd　and　lucky　chance　that　Nutty　Boyd　should　have　e　to　the　rooms　which　he　was　occupying　that　night；　seeking　a　panion。　Had　it　been　chance？　Even　at　the　time　he　had　thought　it　strange　that；　on　the　strength　of　a　single　evening　spent　together；　Nutty　should　have　invited　a　total　stranger　to　make　an　indefinite　visit　to　his　home。　Had　there　been　design　behind　the　invitation？
　Bill　began　to　walk　slowly　to　the　house。　He　felt　tired　and　unhappy。　He　meant　to　go　to　bed　and　try　to　sleep　away　these　wretched　doubts　and　questionings。　Daylight　would　bring　relief。
　As　he　reached　the　open　front　door　he　caught　the　sound　of　voices；　and　paused　for　an　instant；　almost　unconsciously；　to　place　them。　They　came　from　one　of　the　rooms　upstairs。　It　was　Nutty　speaking　now；　and　it　was　impossible　for　Bill　not　to　hear　what　he　said；　for　Nutty　had　abandoned　his　customary　drawl　in　favour　of　a　high；　excited　tone。
　'Of　course；　you　hate　him　and　all　that；'　said　Nutty；　'but　after　all　you　will　be　getting　five　million　dollars　that　ought　to　have　e　to'
　That　was　all　that　Bill　heard；　for　he　had　stumbled　across　the　hall　and　was　in　his　room；　sitting　on　the　bed　and　staring　into　the　darkness　with　burning　eyes。　The　door　banged　behind　him。
　So　it　was　true！
　There　came　a　knock　at　the　door。　It　was　repeated。　The　handle　turned。
　'Is　that　you；　Bill？'
　It　was　Elizabeth's　voice。　He　could　just　see　her；　framed　in　the　doorway。
　'Bill！'
　His　throat　was　dry。　He　swallowed；　and　found　that　he　could　speak。
　'Yes？'
　'Did　you　just　e　in？'
　'Yes。'
　'Thenyou　heard？'
　'Yes。'
　There　was　a　long　silence。　Then　the　door　closed　gently　and　he　heard　her　go　upstairs。
　
　22
　When　Bill　woke　next　morning　it　was　ten　o'clock；　and　his　first　emotion；　on　a　day　that　was　to　be　crowded　with　emotions　of　various　kinds；　was　one　of　shame。　The　desire　to　do　the　fitting　thing　is　innate　in　man；　and　it　struck　Bill；　as　he　hurried　through　his　toilet；　that　he　must　be　a　shallow；　coarse…fibred　sort　of　person；　lacking　in　the　finer　feelings；　not　to　have　passed　a　sleepless　night。　There　was　something　revolting　in　the　thought　that；　in　circumstances　which　would　have　made　sleep　an　impossibility　for　most　men；　he　had　slept　like　a　log。　He　did　not　do　himself　the　justice　to　recollect　that　he　had　had　a　singularly　strenuous　day；　and　that　it　is　Nature's　business；　which　she　performs　quietly　and　unromantically；　to　send　sleep　to　tired　men　regardless　of　their　private　feelings；　and　it　was　in　a　mood　of　dissatisfaction　with　the　quality　of　his　soul　that　he　left　his　room。
　He　had　a　general　feeling　that　he　was　not　much　of　a　chap　and　that　when　he　diedwhich　he　trusted　would　be　shortlythe　world　would　be　well　rid　of　him。　He　felt　humble　and　depressed　and　hopeless。
　Elizabeth　met　him　in　the　passage。　At　the　age　of　eleven　or　thereabouts　women　acquire　a　poise　and　an　ability　to　handle　difficult　situations　which　a　man；　if　he　is　lucky；　manages　to　achieve　somewhere　in　the　later　seventies。　Except　for　a　pallor　strange　to　her　face　and　a　drawn　look　about　her　eyes；　there　was　nothing　to　show　that　all　was　not　for　the　best　with　Elizabeth　in　a　best　of　all　possible　worlds。　If　she　did　not　look　jaunty；　she　at　least　looked　posed。　She　greeted　Bill　with　a　smile。
　'I　didn't　wake　you。　I　thought　I　would　let　you　sleep　on。'
　The　words　had　the　effect　of　lending　an　additional　clarity　and　firmness　of　outline　to　the　picture　of　himself　which　Bill　had　already　drawn　in　his　mindof　a　soulless　creature　sunk　in　hoggish　slumber。
　'We've　had　breakfast。　Nutty　has　gone　for　a　walk。　Isn't　he　wonderful　nowadays？　I've　kept　your　breakfast　warm　for　you。'
　Bill　protested。　He　might　be　capable　of　sleep；　but　he　was　not　going　to　sink　to　food。
　'Not　for　me；　thanks；'　he　said；　hollowly。
　'e　along。'
　'Honestly'
　'e　along。'
　He　followed　her　meekly。　How　grimly　practical　women　were！　They　let　nothing　interfere　with　the　essentials　of　life。　It　seemed　all　wrong。　Nevertheless；　he　breakfasted　well　and　gratefully；　Elizabeth　watching　him　in　silence　across　the　table。
　'Finished？'
　'Yes；　thanks。'
　She　hesitated　for　a　moment。
　'Well；　Bill；　I've　slept　on　it。　Things　are　in　rather　a　muddle；　aren't　they？　I　think　I　had　better　begin　by　explaining　what　led　up　to　those　words　you　heard　Nutty　say　last　night。　Won't　you　smoke？'
　'No；　thanks。'
　'You'll　feel　better　if　you　do。'
　'I　couldn't。'
　A　bee　had　flown　in　through　the　open　window。　She　followed　it　with　her　eye　as　it　blundered　about　the　room。　It　flew　out　again　into　the　sunshine。　She　turned　to　Bill　again。
　'They　were　supposed　to　be　words　of　consolation；'　she　said。
　Bill　said　nothing。
　'Nutty；　you　see；　has　his　own　peculiar　way　of　looking　at　things；　and　it　didn't　occur　to　him　that　I　might　have　promised　to　marry　you　because　I　loved　you。　He　took　it　for　granted　that　I　had　done　it　to　save　the　Boyd　home。　He　has　been　very　anxious　from　the　first　that　I　should　marry　you。　I　think　that　that　must　have　been　why　he　asked　you　down　here。　He　found　out　in　New　York；　you　know；　who　you　were。　Someone　you　met　at　supper　recognized　you；　and　told　Nutty。　So；　as　far　as　that　is　concerned；　the　girl　you　were　speaking　to　at　the　gate　last　night　was　right。'
　He　started。　'You　heard　her？'
　'I　couldn't　help　it。　She　meant　me　to　hear。　She　was　raising　her　voice　quite　unnecessarily　if　she　did　not　mean　to　include　me　in　the　conversation。　I　had　gone　in　to　find　Nutty；　and　he　was　out；　and　I　was　ing　back　to　you。　That's　how　I　was　there。　You　didn't　see　me　because　your　back　was　turned。　She　saw　me。'
　Bill　met　her　eyes。　'You　don't　ask　who　she　was？'
　'It　doesn't　matter　who　she　was。　It's　what　she　said　that　matters。　She　said　that　we　knew　you　were　Lord　Dawlish。'
　'Did　you　know？'
　'Nutty　told　me　two　or　three　days　ago。'　Her　voice　shook　and　a　flush　came　into　her　face。　'You　probably　won't　believe　it；　but　the　news　made　absolutely　no　difference　to　me　one　way　or　the　other。　I　had　always　imagined　Lord　Dawlish　as　a　treacherous；　adventurer　sort　of　man；　because　I　couldn't　see　how　a　man　who　was　not　like　that　could　have　persuaded　Uncle　Ira　to　leave　him　his　money。　But　after　knowing　you　even　for　this　short　time；　I　knew　you　were　quite　the　opposite　of　that；　and　I　remembered　that　the　first　thing　you　had　done　on　ing　into　the　money　had　been　to　offer　me　half；　so　the　information　that　you　were　the　Lord　Dawlish　whom　I　had　been　hating　did　not　affect　me。　And　the　fact　that　you　were　rich　and　I　was　poor　did　not　affect　me　either。　I　loved　you；　and　that　was　all　I　cared　about。　If　all　this　had　not　happened　everything　would　have　been　all　right。　But；　you　see；　nine…tenths　of　what　that　girl　said　to　you　was　so　perfectly　true　that　it　is　humanly　impossible　for　you　not　to　believe　the　other　tenth；　which　wasn't。　And　then；　to　clinch　it；　you　hear　Nutty　consoling　me。　That　brings　me　back　to　Nutty。'
　'I'
　'Let　me　tell　you　about　Nutty　first。　I　said　that　he　had　always　been　anxious　that　I　should　marry　you。　Something　happened　last　night　to　increase　his　anxiety。　I　have　often　wondered　how　he　managed　to　get　enough　money　to　enable　him　to　spend　three　days　in　New　York；　and　last　night　he　told　me。　He　came　in　just　after　I　had　got　back　to　the　house　after　leaving　you　and　that　girl；　and　he　was　very　scared。　It　seems　that　when　the　letter　from　the　London　lawyer　came　telling　him　that　he　had　been　left　a　hundred　dollars；　he　got　the　idea　of　raising　money　on　the　strength　of　it。　You　know　Nutty　by　this　time；　so　you　won't　be　surprised　at　the　way　he　went　about　it。　He　borrowed　a　hundred　dollars　from　the　man　at　the　chemist's　on　the　security　of　that　letter；　and　thenI　suppose　it　seemed　so　easy　that　it　struck　him　as　a　pity　to　let　the　opportunity　sliphe　did　the　same　thing　with　four　other　tradesmen。　Nutty's　so　odd　that　I　don't　know　even　now　whether　it　ever　occurred　to　him　that　he　was　obtaining　money　under　false　pretences；　but　the　poor　tradesmen　hadn't　any　doubt　about　it　at　all。　They　pared　notes　and　found　what　had　happened；　and　last　night；　while　we　were　in　the　woods；　one　of　them　came　here　and　called　Nutty　a　good　many　names　and　threatened　him　with　imprisonment。
　'You　can　imagine　how　delighted　Nutty