pgw.uneasymoney-第40章
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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
