pgw.uneasymoney-第6部分

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d　between　the　normal　and　the　eccentric。
　'His　only　surviving　relatives　appear　to　be　a　nephew　and　a　niece。　The　nephew　dropped　out　of　the　running　two　years　ago　when　his　aunt；　old　Nutbe's　wife；　who　had　divorced　old　Nutbe；　left　him　her　money。　This　seems　to　have　soured　the　old　boy　on　the　nephew；　for　in　the　first　of　his　wills　that　I've　seenyou　remember　I　told　you　I　had　seen　threehe　leaves　the　niece　the　pile　and　the　nephew　only　gets　twenty　pounds。　Well；　so　far　there's　nothing　very　eccentric　about　old　Nutbe's　proceedings。　But　wait！
　'Six　months　after　he　had　made　that　will　he　came　in　here　and　made　another。　This　left　twenty　pounds　to　the　nephew　as　before；　but　nothing　at　all　to　the　niece。　Why；　I　don't　know。　There　was　nothing　in　the　will　about　her　having　done　anything　to　offend　him　during　those　six　months；　none　of　those　nasty　slams　you　see　in　wills　about　〃I　bequeath　to　my　only　son　John　one　shilling　and　sixpence。　Now　perhaps　he's　sorry　he　married　the　cook。〃　As　far　as　I　can　make　out　he　changed　his　will　just　as　he　did　when　he　left　the　money　to　you；　purely　through　some　passing　whim。　Anyway；　he　did　change　it。　He　left　the　pile　to　support　the　movement　those　people　are　running　for　getting　the　Jews　back　to　Palestine。
　'He　didn't　seem；　on　second　thoughts；　to　feel　that　this　was　quite　such　a　brainy　scheme　as　he　had　at　first；　and　it　wasn't　long　before　he　came　trotting　back　to　tear　up　this　second　will　and　switch　back　to　the　first　onethe　one　leaving　the　money　to　the　niece。　That　restoration　to　sanity　lasted　till　about　a　month　ago；　when　he　broke　loose　once　more　and　paid　his　final　visit　here　to　will　you　the　contents　of　his　stocking。　This　morning　I　see　he's　dead　after　a　short　illness；　so　you　collect。　Congratulations！'
　Lord　Dawlish　had　listened　to　this　speech　in　perfect　silence。　He　now　rose　and　began　to　pace　the　room。　He　looked　warm　and　unfortable。　His　demeanour；　in　fact；　was　by　no　means　the　accepted　demeanour　of　the　lucky　heir。
　'This　is　awful！'　he　said。　'Good　Lord；　Jerry；　it's　frightful！'
　'Awful！being　left　a　million　pounds？'
　'Yes；　like　this。　I　feel　like　a　bally　thief。'
　'Why　on　earth？'
　'If　it　hadn't　been　for　me　this　girlwhat's　her　name？'
　'Her　name　is　BoydElizabeth　Boyd。'
　'She　would　have　had　the　whole　million　if　it　hadn't　been　for　me。　Have　you　told　her　yet？'
　'She's　in　America。　I　was　writing　her　a　letter　just　before　you　came　ininformal；　you　know；　to　put　her　out　of　her　misery。　If　I　had　waited　for　the　governor　to　let　her　know　in　the　usual　course　of　red　tape　we　should　never　have　got　anywhere。　Also　one　to　the　nephew；　telling　him　about　his　twenty　pounds。　I　believe　in　humane　treatment　on　these　occasions。　The　governor　would　write　them　a　legal　letter　with　so　many　〃hereinbefores〃　in　it　that　they　would　get　the　idea　that　they　had　been　left　the　whole　pile。　I　just　send　a　cheery　line　saying　〃It's　no　good；　old　top。　Abandon　hope；〃　and　they　know　just　where　they　are。　Simple　and　considerate。'
　A　glance　at　Bill's　face　moved　him　to　further　speech。
　'I　don't　see　why　you　should　worry；　Bill。　How；　by　any　stretch　of　the　imagination；　can　you　make　out　that　you　are　to　blame　for　this　Boyd　girl's　misfortune？　It　looks　to　me　as　if　these　eccentric　wills　of　old　Nutbe's　came　in　cycles；　as　it　were。　Just　as　he　was　due　for　another　outbreak　he　happened　to　meet　you。　It's　a　moral　certainty　that　if　he　hadn't　met　you　he　would　have　left　all　his　money　to　a　Home　for　Superannuated　Caddies　or　a　Fund　for　Supplying　the　Deserving　Poor　with　Niblicks。　Why　should　you　blame　yourself？'
　'I　don't　blame　myself。　It　isn't　exactly　that。　Butbut；　well；　what　would　you　feel　like　in　my　place？'
　'A　two…year…old。'
　'Wouldn't　you　do　anything？'
　'I　certainly　would。　By　my　halidom；　I　would！　I　would　spend　that　money　with　a　vim　and　speed　that　would　make　your　respected　ancestor；　the　Beau；　look　like　a　village　miser。'
　'You　wouldn'terpop　over　to　America　and　see　whether　something　couldn't　be　arranged？'
　'What！'
　'I　meansuppose　you　were　popping　in　any　case。　Suppose　you　had　happened　to　buy　a　ticket　for　New　York　on　to…morrow's　boat；　wouldn't　you　try　to　get　in　touch　with　this　girl　when　you　got　to　America；　and　see　if　you　couldn'terfix　up　something？'
　Jerry　Nichols　looked　at　him　in　honest　consternation。　He　had　always　known　that　old　Bill　was　a　dear　old　ass；　but　he　had　never　dreamed　that　he　was　such　an　infernal　old　ass　as　this。
　'You　aren't　thinking　of　doing　that？'　he　gasped。
　'Well；　you　see；　it's　a　funny　coincidence；　but　I　was　going　to　America；　anyhow；　to…morrow。　I　don't　see　why　I　shouldn't　try　to　fix　up　something　with　this　girl。'
　'What　do　you　meanfix　up　something？　You　don't　suggest　that　you　should　give　the　money　up；　do　you？'
　'I　don't　know。　Not　exactly　that；　perhaps。　How　would　it　be　if　I　gave　her　half；　what？　Anyway；　I　should　like　to　find　out　about　her；　see　if　she's　hard　up；　and　so　on。　I　should　like　to　nose　round；　you　know；　anderand　so　forth；　don't　you　know。　Where　did　you　say　the　girl　lived？'
　'I　didn't　say；　and　I'm　not　sure　that　I　shall。　Honestly；　Bill；　you　mustn't　be　so　quixotic。'
　'There's　no　harm　in　my　nosing　round；　is　there？　Be　a　good　chap　and　give　me　the　address。'
　'Well'with　misgivings'Brookport；　Long　Island。'
　'Thanks。'
　'Bill；　are　you　really　going　to　make　a　fool　of　yourself？'
　'Not　a　bit　of　it；　old　chap。　I'm　just　going　toer'
　'To　nose　round？'
　'To　nose　round；'　said　Bill。
　Jerry　Nichols　acpanied　his　friend　to　the　door；　and　once　more　peace　reigned　in　the　offices　of　Nichols；　Nichols；　Nichols；　and　Nichols。
　The　time　of　a　man　who　has　at　a　moment's　notice　decided　to　leave　his　native　land　for　a　sojourn　on　foreign　soil　is　necessarily　taken　up　with　a　variety　of　occupations；　and　it　was　not　till　the　following　afternoon；　on　the　boat　at　Liverpool；　that　Bill　had　leisure　to　write　to　Claire；　giving　her　the　news　of　what　had　befallen　him。　He　had　booked　his　ticket　by　a　Liverpool　boat　in　preference　to　one　that　sailed　from　Southampton　because　he　had　not　been　sure　how　Claire　would　take　the　news　of　his　sudden　decision　to　leave　for　America。　There　was　the　chance　that　she　might　ridicule　or　condemn　the　scheme；　and　he　preferred　to　get　away　without　seeing　her。　Now　that　he　had　received　this　astounding　piece　of　news　from　Jerry　Nichols　he　was　relieved　that　he　had　acted　in　this　way。　Whatever　Claire　might　have　thought　of　the　original　scheme；　there　was　no　doubt　at　all　what　she　would　think　of　his　plan　of　seeking　out　Elizabeth　Boyd　with　a　view　to　dividing　the　legacy　with　her。
　He　was　guarded　in　his　letter。　He　mentioned　no　definite　figures。　He　wrote　that　Ira　Nutbe　of　whom　they　had　spoken　so　often　had　most　surprisingly　left　him　in　his　will　a　large　sum　of　money；　and　eased　his　conscience　by　telling　himself　that　half　of　a　million　pounds　undeniably　was　a　large　sum　of　money。
　The　addressing　of　the　letter　called　for　thought。　She　would　have　left　Southampton　with　the　rest　of　the　pany　before　it　could　arrive。　Where　was　it　that　she　said　they　were　going　next　week？　Portsmouth；　that　was　it。　He　addressed　the　letter　Care　of　The　Girl　and　the　Artist　pany；　to　the　King's　Theatre；　Portsmouth。
　
　5
　The　village　of　Brookport；　Long　Island；　is　a　summer　place。　It　lives；　like　the　mosquitoes　that　infest　it；　entirely　on　its　summer　visitors。　At　the　time　of　the　death　of　Mr　Ira　Nutbe；　the　only　all…the…year…round　inhabitants　were　the　butcher；　the　grocer；　the　chemist；　the　other　customary　fauna　of　villages；　and　Miss　Elizabeth　Boyd；　who　rented　the　ramshackle　farm　known　locally　as　Flack's　and　eked　out　a　precarious　livelihood　by　keeping　bees。
　If　you　take　down　your　_Encyclopaedia　Britannica_；　Volume　III；　AUS　to　BIS；　you　will　find　that　bees　are　a　'large　and　natural　family　of　the　zoological　order　Hymenoptera；　characterized　by　the　plumose　form　of　many　of　their　hairs；　by　the　large　size　of　the　basal　segment　of　the　foot　。。。　and　by　the　development　of　a　〃tongue〃　for　sucking　liquid　food；'　the　last　of　which　peculiarities；　it　is　interesting　to　note；　they　shared　with　Claude　Nutbe　Boyd；　Elizabeth's　brother；　who　for　quite　a　long　timetill　his　money　ran　outhad　made　liquid　food　almost　his　sole　means　of　sustenance。　These　things；　however；　are　by　the　way。　We　are　not　such　snobs　as　to　think　better　or　worse　of　a　bee　because　it　can　claim　kinship　with　the　_Hymenoptera_　family；　nor　so　ill…bred　as　to　chaff　it　for　having　large　feet。　The　really　interesting　passage　in　the　article　occurs　later；　where　it　says：　'The　bee　industry　prospers　greatly　in　America。'
　This　is　one　of　those　broad　statements　that　invite　challenge。　Elizabeth　Boyd　would　have　challenged　it。　She　had　not　prospered　greatly。　With　considerable　trouble　she　contrived　to　pay　her　way；　and　that　was　all。
　Again　referring　to　the　'Encyclopaedia；'　we　find　the　words：　'Before　undertaking　the　management　of　a　modern　apiary；　the　beekeeper　should　possess　a　certain　amount　of　aptitude　for　the　pursuit。'　This　was　possibly　the　trouble　with　Elizabeth's　venture；　considered　from　a　mercial　point　of　view。　She　loved　bees；　but　she　was　not　an　expert　on　them。　She　had　started　her　apiary　with　a　small　capital；　a　book　of　practical　hints；　and　a　second…hand　queen；　principally　because　she　was　in　need　of　some　occupation　that　would　enable　her　to　live　in　the　country。　It　was　the　unfortunate　condition　of　Claude　Nutbe　which　made　life　in　the　country　a　necessity。　At　that　time　he　was　spending　the　remains　of　the　money　left　him　by　his　aunt；　and　Elizabeth　had　hardly　settled　down　at　Brookport　and　got　her　venture　under　way　when　she　found　herself　obliged　to　provide　for　Nutty　a　bination　of　home　and　sanatorium。　It　had　been　the　poor　lad's　mistaken　view　that　he　could　drink　up　all　the　alcoholic　liquor　in　America。
　It　is　a　curious　law　of　Nature　that　the　most　undeserving　brothers　always　have　the　best　sisters。　Thrifty；　plodding　young　men；　who　get　up　early；　and　do　it　now；　and　catch　the　employer's　eye；　and　save　half　their　salaries；　have　sisters　who　never　speak　civilly　to　them　except　when　they　want　to　borrow　money。　To　the　Claude　Nutbes　of　the　world　are　vouchsafed　the　Elizabeths。
　The　great　aim　of　Elizabeth's　life　was　to　make　a　new　man　of　Nutty。　It　was　her　hope　that　the　quiet　life　and　soothing　air　of　Brookport；　withunless　you　counted　the　money…in…the…slot　musical　box　at　the　storeits　absence　of　the　fiercer　excitements；　might　in　time　pull　him　together　and　unscramble　his　disordered　nervous　system。　She　liked　to　listen　of　a　morning　to　the　sound　of　Nutty　busy　in