The Grey Wig: Stories and Novelettes

'Her own horse and carriage!' repeated Lancelot, utterly dazed. 'Whatever are you talking about?'

'Well-there's the letter!' exclaimed Mrs. Leadbatter, indignantly. 'See for yourself if you don't believe me. I don't know how much two and a 'arf million dollars is-but it sounds unkimmonly like a nors-end-kerridge-and never said a word about 'im the whole time, the sly little thing!'

The universe seemed oscillating so that he grasped at the letter like a drunken man. It was from the vicar. He wrote:-

'I have much pleasure in informing you that our dear Mary Ann is the fortunate inheritress of two and a half million dollars by the death of her brother Tom, who, as I learn from the lawyers who have applied to me for news of the family, has just died in America, leaving his money to his surviving relatives. He was rather a wild young man, but it seems he became the lucky possessor of some petroleum wells which made him wealthy in a few months. I pray God Mary Ann may make a better use of the money than he would have done. I want you to break the news to her, please, and to prepare her for my visit. As I have to preach on Sunday, I cannot come to town before, but on Monday (D.V.) I shall run up and shall probably take her back with me, as I desire to help her through the difficulties that will attend her entry into the new life. How pleased you will be to think of the care you took of the dear child during these last five years. I hope she is well and happy; I think you omitted to write to me last Christmas on the subject. Please give her my kindest regards and best wishes and say I shall be with her (D.V.) on Monday.'

The words swam uncertainly before Lancelot's eyes, but he got through them all at last. He felt chilled and numbed. He averted his face as he handed the letter back to Mary Ann's 'missus.'

'What a fortunate girl!' he said in a low, stony voice.

'Fortunate ain't the word for it! The mean, sly little cat! Fancy never telling me a word about 'er brother all these years-me as 'as fed her, and clothed her, and lodged her, and kepper out of all mischief, as if she'd bin my own daughter; never let her go out Bankhollidayin' in loose company-as you can bear witness yourself, sir-and eddicated 'er out of 'er country talk and rough ways, and made 'er the smart young woman she is, fit to wait on the most troublesome of gentlemen. And now she'll go away and say I used 'er 'arsh, and overworked 'er, and Lord knows what, don't tell me! Oh, my poor chest!'

'I think you may make your mind quite easy,' said Lancelot, grimly. 'I'm sure Mary Ann is perfectly satisfied with your treatment.'

'But she ain't-there, listen! don't you hear her going on?' Poor Mary Ann's sobs were still audible, though exhaustion was making them momently weaker. 'She's been going on like that ever since I broke the news to 'er and gave her a piece of my mind-the sly little cat! She wanted to go on scrubbing the kitchen, and I had to take the brush away by main force. A nice thing, indeed! A gel as can keep a nors-end-kerridge down on the cold kitchen stones! 'Twasn't likely I could allow that. 'No, Mary Ann,' says I, firmly, 'you're a lady, and if you don't know what's proper for a lady, you'd best listen to them as does. You go and buy yourself a dress and a jacket to be ready for that vicar who's been a real good kind friend to you; he's coming to take you away on Monday, he is, and how will you look in that dirty print? Here's a suvrin,' says I, 'out of my 'ard-earned savin's-and get a pair o' boots, too: you can git a sweet pair for 2s. 11d. at Rackstraw's afore the sale closes,' and with that I shoves the suvrin into 'er hand instead o' the scrubbin' brush, and what does she do? Why, busts out a-cryin' and sits on the damp stones, and sobs, and sulks, and stares at the suvrin in her hand as if I'd told her of a funeral instead of a fortune!' concluded Mrs. Leadbatter, alliteratively.

'But you did-her brother's death,' said Lancelot. 'That's what she's crying about.'

Mrs. Leadbatter was taken aback by this obverse view of the situation; but recovering herself, she shook her head. 'I wouldn't cry for no brother that lef me to starve when he was rollin' in two and a 'arf million dollars,' she said sceptically. 'And I'm sure my Rosie wouldn't. But she never 'ad nobody to leave her money, poor dear child, except me, please Gaud. It's only the fools as 'as the luck in this world.' And having thus relieved her bosom, she resumed her panting progress upwards.

The last words rang on in Lancelot's ears long after he had returned to his room. In the utter breakdown and confusion of his plans and his ideas, it was the one definite thought he clung to, as a swimmer in a whirlpool clings to a rock. His brain refused to concentrate itself on any other aspect of the situation-he could not, would not, dared not, think of anything else. He knew vaguely he ought to rejoice with her over her wonderful stroke of luck, that savoured of the fairy-story, but everything was swamped by that one almost resentful reflection. Oh, the irony of fate! Blind fate showering torrents of gold upon this foolish, babyish household drudge; who was all emotion and animal devotion, without the intellectual outlook of a Hottentot, and leaving men of genius to starve, or sell their souls for a handful of it! How was the wisdom of the ages justified! Verily did fortune favour fools. And Tom-the wicked-he had flourished as the wicked always do, like the green bay tree, as the Psalmist discovered ever so many centuries ago.

But gradually the wave of bitterness waned. He found himself listening placidly and attentively to the joyous trills and roulades of the canary, till the light faded and the grey dusk crept into the room and stilled the tiny winged lover of the sunshine. Then Beethoven came and rubbed himself against his master's leg, and Lancelot got up, as one wakes from a dream, and stretched his cramped limbs dazedly, and rang the bell mechanically for tea. He was groping on the mantel-piece for the matches when the knock at the door came, and he did not turn round till he had found them. He struck a light, expecting to see Mrs. Leadbatter or Rosie. He started to find it was merely Mary Ann.

But she was no longer merely Mary Ann, he remembered with another shock. She loomed large to him in the match-light-he seemed to see her through a golden haze. Tumultuous images of her glorified gilded future rose and mingled dizzily in his brain.

And yet, was he dreaming? Surely it was the same Mary Ann, with the same winsome face and the same large pathetic eyes, ringed though they were with the shadow of tears. Mary Ann, in her neat white cap-yes-and in her tan kid gloves. He rubbed his eyes. Was he really awake? Or-a thought still more dizzying- had he been dreaming? He had fallen asleep and reinless fancy had played him the fantastic trick, from which, cramped and dazed, he had just awakened to the old sweet reality.

'Mary Ann!' he cried wildly. The lighted match fell from his fingers and burnt itself out unheeded on the carpet.

'Yessir.'

'Is it true'-his emotion choked him-'is it true you've come into two and a half million dollars?'

'Yessir, and I've brought you some tea.'

The room was dark, but darkness seemed to fall on it as she spoke.

'But why are you waiting on me, then?' he said slowly. 'Don't you know that you-that you-'

'Please, Mr. Lancelot, I wanted to come in and see you.'

He felt himself trembling.

'But Mrs. Leadbatter told me she wouldn't let you do any more work.'

'I told missus that I must; I told her she couldn't get another girl before Monday, if then, and if she didn't let me I wouldn't buy a new dress and a pair of boots with her sovereign-it isn't suvrin, is it, sir?'

'No,' murmured Lancelot, smiling in spite of himself.

'With her sovereign. And I said I would be all dirty on Monday.'

'But what can you get for a sovereign?' he asked irrelevantly. He felt his mind wandering away from him.

'Oh, ever such a pretty dress!'

The picture of Mary Ann in a pretty dress painted itself upon the darkness. How lovely the child would look in some creamy white evening dress with a rose in her hair. He wondered that in all his thoughts of their future he had never dressed her up thus in fancy, to feast his eyes on the vision.

'And so the vicar will find you in a pretty dress,' he said at last.

'No, sir.'

'But you promised Mrs. Leadbatter to-'

'I promised to buy a dress with her sovereign. But I shan't be here when the vicar comes. He can't come till the afternoon.'

'Why, where will you be?' he said, his heart beginning to beat fast.

'With you,' she replied, with a faint accent of surprise.

He steadied himself against the mantel-piece.

'But-' he began, and ended, 'is that honest?'