pgw.uneasymoney-第7部分

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amble　his　disordered　nervous　system。　She　liked　to　listen　of　a　morning　to　the　sound　of　Nutty　busy　in　the　next　room　with　a　broom　and　a　dustpan；　for　in　the　simple　lexicon　of　Flack's　there　was　no　such　word　as　'help'。　The　privy　purse　would　not　run　to　a　maid。　Elizabeth　did　the　cooking　and　Claude　Nutbe　the　housework。
　Several　days　after　Claire　Fenwick　and　Lord　Dawlish；　by　different　routes；　had　sailed　from　England；　Elizabeth　Boyd　sat　up　in　bed　and　shook　her　mane　of　hair　from　her　eyes；　yawning。　Outside　her　window　the　birds　were　singing；　and　a　shaft　of　sunlight　intruded　itself　beneath　the　blind。　But　what　definitely　convinced　her　that　it　was　time　to　get　up　was　the　plaintive　note　of　James；　the　cat；　patrolling　the　roof　of　the　porch。　An　animal　of　regular　habits；　James　always　called　for　breakfast　at　eight…thirty　sharp。
　Elizabeth　got　out　of　bed；　wrapped　her　small　body　in　a　pink　kimono；　thrust　her　small　feet　into　a　pair　of　blue　slippers；　yawned　again；　and　went　downstairs。　Having　taken　last　night's　milk　from　the　ice…box；　she　went　to　the　back　door；　and；　having　filled　James's　saucer；　stood　on　the　grass　beside　it；　sniffing　the　morning　air。
　Elizabeth　Boyd　was　twenty…one；　but　standing　there　with　her　hair　tumbling　about　her　shoulders　she　might　have　been　taken　by　a　not…too…close　observer　for　a　child。　It　was　only　when　you　saw　her　eyes　and　the　resolute　tilt　of　the　chin　that　you　realized　that　she　was　a　young　woman　very　well　able　to　take　care　of　herself　in　a　difficult　world。　Her　hair　was　very　fair；　her　eyes　brown　and　very　bright；　and　the　contrast　was　extraordinarily　piquant。　They　were　valiant　eyes；　full　of　spirit；　eyes；　also；　that　saw　the　humour　of　things。　And　her　mouth　was　the　mouth　of　one　who　laughs　easily。　Her　chin；　small　like　the　rest　of　her；　was　strong；　and　in　the　way　she　held　herself　there　was　a　boyish　jauntiness。　She　lookedand　wasa　capable　little　person。
　She　stood　besides　James　like　a　sentinel；　watching　over　him　as　he　breakfasted。　There　was　a　puppy　belonging　to　one　of　the　neighbours　who　sometimes　lumbered　over　and　stole　James's　milk；　disposing　of　it　in　greedy　gulps　while　its　rightful　proprietor　looked　on　with　piteous　helplessness。　Elizabeth　was　fond　of　the　puppy；　but　her　sense　of　justice　was　keen　and　she　was　there　to　check　this　brigandage。
　It　was　a　perfect　day；　cloudless　and　still。　There　was　peace　in　the　air。　James；　having　finished　his　milk；　began　to　wash　himself。　A　squirrel　climbed　cautiously　down　from　a　linden　tree。　From　the　orchard　came　the　murmur　of　many　bees。
　Aesthetically　Elizabeth　was　fond　of　still；　cloudless　days；　but　experience　had　taught　her　to　suspect　them。　As　was　the　custom　in　that　locality；　the　water　supply　depended　on　a　rickety　windwheel。　It　was　with　a　dark　foreboding　that　she　returned　to　the　kitchen　and　turned　on　one　of　the　taps。　For　perhaps　three　seconds　a　stream　of　the　dimension　of　a　darning…needle　emerged；　then　with　a　sad　gurgle　the　tap　relapsed　into　a　stolid　inaction。　There　is　no　stolidity　so　utter　as　that　of　a　waterless　tap。
　'Confound　it！'　said　Elizabeth。
　She　passed　through　the　dining…room　to　the　foot　of　the　stairs。
　'Nutty！'　　There　was　no　reply。
　'Nutty；　my　precious　lamb！'
　Upstairs　in　the　room　next　to　her　own　a　long；　spare　form　began　to　uncurl　itself　in　bed；　a　face　with　a　receding　chin　and　a　small　forehead　raised　itself　reluctantly　from　the　pillow；　and　Claude　Nutbe　Boyd　signalized　the　fact　that　he　was　awake　by　scowling　at　the　morning　sun　and　uttering　an　aggrieved　groan。
　Alas；　poor　Nutty！　This　was　he　whom　but　yesterday　Broadway　had　known　as　the　Speed　Kid；　on　whom　head…waiters　had　smiled　and　lesser　waiters　fawned；　whose　snake…like　form　had　nestled　in　so　many　a　front…row　orchestra　stall。
　Where　were　his　lobster　Newburgs　now；　his　cold　quarts　that　were　wont　to　set　the　table　in　a　roar？
　Nutty　Boyd　conformed　as　nearly　as　a　human　being　may　to　Euclid's　definition　of　a　straight　line。　He　was　length　without　breadth。　From　boyhood's　early　day　he　had　sprouted　like　a　weed；　till　now　in　the　middle　twenties　he　gave　startled　strangers　the　conviction　that　it　only　required　a　sharp　gust　of　wind　to　snap　him　in　half。　Lying　in　bed；　he　looked　more　like　a　length　of　hose…pipe　than　anything　else。　While　he　was　unwinding　himself　the　door　opened　and　Elizabeth　came　into　the　room。
　'Good　morning；　Nutty！'
　'What's　the　time？'　asked　her　brother；　hollowly。
　'Getting　on　towards　nine。　It's　a　lovely　day。　The　birds　are　singing；　the　bees　are　buzzing；　summer's　in　the　air。　It's　one　of　those　beautiful；　shiny；　heavenly；　gorgeous　days。'
　A　look　of　suspicion　came　into　Nutty's　eyes。　Elizabeth　was　not　often　as　lyrical　as　this。
　'There's　a　catch　somewhere；'　he　said。
　'Well；　as　a　matter　of　fact；'　said　Elizabeth；　carelessly；　'the　water's　off　again。'
　'Confound　it！'
　'I　said　that。　I'm　afraid　we　aren't　a　very　original　family。
　'What　a　ghastly　place　this　is！　Why　can't　you　see　old　Flack　and　make　him　mend　that　infernal　wheel？'
　'I'm　going　to　pounce　on　him　and　have　another　try　directly　I　see　him。　Meanwhile；　darling　Nutty；　will　you　get　some　clothes　on　and　go　round　to　the　Smiths　and　ask　them　to　lend　us　a　pailful？'
　'Oh；　gosh；　it's　over　a　mile！'
　'No；　no；　not　more　than　three…quarters。'
　'Lugging　a　pail　that　weighs　a　ton！　The　last　time　I　went　there　their　dog　bit　me。'
　'I　expect　that　was　because　you　slunk　in　all　doubled　up；　and　he　got　suspicious。　You　should　hold　your　head　up　and　throw　your　chest　out　and　stride　up　as　if　you　were　a　military　friend　of　the　family。'
　Self…pity　lent　Nutty　eloquence。
　'For　Heaven's　sake！　You　drag　me　out　of　bed　at　some　awful　hour　of　the　morning　when　a　rational　person　would　just　be　turning　in；　you　send　me　across　country　to　fetch　pailfuls　of　water　when　I'm　feeling　like　a　corpse；　and　on　top　of　that　you　expect　me　to　behave　like　a　drum…major！'
　'Dearest；　you　can　wriggle　on　your　tummy；　if　you　like；　so　long　as　you　get　the　fluid。　We　must　have　water。　I　can't　fetch　it。　I'm　a　delicately…nurtured　female。'
　'We　ought　to　have　a　man　to　do　these　ghastly　jobs。'
　'But　we　can't　afford　one。　Just　at　present　all　I　ask　is　to　be　able　to　pay　expenses。　And；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　you　ought　to　be　very　thankful　that　you　have　got'
　'A　roof　over　my　head？　I　know。　You　needn't　keep　rubbing　it　in。'
　Elizabeth　flushed。
　'I　wasn't　going　to　say　that　at　all。　What　a　pig　you　are　sometimes；　Nutty。　As　if　I　wasn't　only　too　glad　to　have　you　here。　What　I　was　going　to　say　was　that　you　ought　to　be　very　thankful　that　you　have　got　to　draw　water　and　hew　wood'
　A　look　of　absolute　alarm　came　into　Nutty's　pallid　face。
　'You　don't　mean　to　say　that　you　want　some　wood　chopped？'
　'I　was　speaking　figuratively。　I　meant　hustle　about　and　work　in　the　open　air。　The　sort　of　life　you　are　leading　now　is　what　millionaires　pay　hundreds　of　dollars　for　at　these　physical…culture　places。　It　has　been　the　making　of　you。'
　'I　don't　feel　made。'
　'Your　nerves　are　ever　so　much　better。'
　'They　aren't。'
　Elizabeth　looked　at　him　in　alarm。
　'Oh；　Nutty；　you　haven't　beenseeing　anything　again；　have　you？'
　'Not　seeing；　dreaming。　I've　been　dreaming　about　monkeys。　Why　should　I　dream　about　monkeys　if　my　nerves　were　all　right？'
　'I　often　dream　about　all　sorts　of　queer　things。'
　'Have　you　ever　dreamed　that　you　were　being　chased　up　Broadway　by　a　chimpanzee　in　evening　dress？'
　'Never　mind；　dear；　you'll　be　quite　all　right　again　when　you　have　been　living　this　life　down　here　a　little　longer。'
　Nutty　glared　balefully　at　the　ceiling。
　'What's　that　darned　thing　up　there　on　the　ceiling？　It　looks　like　a　hornet。　How　on　earth　do　these　things　get　into　the　house？'
　'We　ought　to　have　nettings。　I　am　going　to　pounce　on　Mr　Flack　about　that　too。'
　'Thank　goodness　this　isn't　going　to　last　much　longer。　It's　nearly　two　weeks　since　Uncle　Ira　died。　We　ought　to　be　hearing　from　the　lawyers　any　day　now。　There　might　be　a　letter　this　morning。'
　'Do　you　think　he　has　left　us　his　money？'
　'Do　I？　Why；　what　else　could　he　do　with　it？　We　are　his　only　surviving　relatives；　aren't　we？　I've　had　to　go　through　life　with　a　ghastly　name　like　Nutbe　as　a　pliment　to　him；　haven't　I？　I　wrote　to　him　regularly　at　Christmas　and　on　his　birthday；　didn't　I？　Well；　then！　I　have　a　feeling　there　will　be　a　letter　from　the　lawyers　to…day。　I　wish　you　would　get　dressed　and　go　down　to　the　post…office　while　I'm　fetching　that　infernal　water。　I　can't　think　why　the　fools　haven't　cabled。　You　would　have　supposed　they　would　have　thought　of　that。'
　Elizabeth　returned　to　her　room　to　dress。　She　was　conscious　of　a　feeling　that　nothing　was　quite　perfect　in　this　world。　It　would　be　nice　to　have　a　great　deal　of　money；　for　she　had　a　scheme　in　her　mind　which　called　for　a　large　capital；　but　she　was　sorry　that　it　could　e　to　her　only　through　the　death　of　her　uncle；　of　whom；　despite　his　somewhat　forbidding　personality；　she　had　always　been　fond。　She　was　also　sorry　that　a　large　sum　of　money　was　ing　to　Nutty　at　that　particular　point　in　his　career；　just　when　there　seemed　the　hope　that　the　simple　life　might　pull　him　together。　She　knew　Nutty　too　well　not　to　be　able　to　forecast　his　probable　behaviour　under　the　influence　of　a　sudden　restoration　of　wealth。
　While　these　thoughts　were　passing　through　her　mind　she　happened　to　glance　out　of　the　window。　Nutty　was　shambling　through　the　garden　with　his　pail；　a　bowed；　shuffling　pillar　of　gloom。　As　Elizabeth　watched；　he　dropped　the　pail　and　lashed　the　air　violently　for　a　while。　From　her　knowledge　of　bees　（'It　is　needful　to　remember　that　bees　resent　outside　interference　and　will　resolutely　defend　themselves；'　_Encyc。　Brit。_；　Vol。　III；　AUS　to　BIS）　Elizabeth　deduced　that　one　of　her　little　pets　was　annoying　him。　This　episode　concluded；　Nutty　resumed　his　pail　and　the　journey；　and　at　this　moment　there　appeared　over　the　hedge　the　face　of　Mr　John　Prescott；　a　neighbour。　Mr　Prescott；　who　had　dismounted　from　a　bicycle；　called　to　Nutty　and　waved　something　in　the　air。　To　a　stranger　the　performance　would　have　been　obscure；　but　Elizabeth　understood　it。　Mr　Prescott　was　intimating　that　he　had　been　down　to　the　post…office　for　his　own　letters　and；　as　was　his　neighbourly　custom　on　these　occasions；　had　brought　back　also　letters　for　Flack's。
　Nutty　foregathered　with　Mr　Prescott　and　took　the　letters　from　him。　Mr　Prescott　disappeared。　Nutty　selected　one　of　the　letters　and　opened　it。　Then；　having　stood　perfectly　still　for　some　m