pgw.uneasymoney-第8节

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　'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　moments；　he　suddenly　turned　and　began　to　run　towards　the　house。
　The　mere　fact　that　her　brother；　whose　usual　mode　of　progression　was　a　languid　saunter；　should　be　actually　running；　was　enough　to　tell　Elizabeth　that　the　letter　which　Nutty　had　read　was　from　the　London　lawyers。　No　other　munication　could　have　galvanized　him　into　such　energy。　Whether　the　contents　of　the　letter　were　good　or　bad　it　was　impossible　at　that　distance　to　say。　But　when　she　reached　the　open　air；　just　as　Nutty　charged　up；　she　saw　by　his　face　that　it　was　anguish　not　joy　that　had　spurred　him　on。　He　was　gasping　and　he　bubbled　unintelligible　words。　His　little　eyes　gleamed　wildly。
　'Nutty；　darling；　what　is　it？'　cried　Elizabeth；　every　maternal　instinct　in　her　aroused。
　He　was　thrusting　a　sheet　of　paper　at　her；　a　sheet　of　paper　that　bore　the　superscription　of　Nichols；　Nichols；　Nichols；　and　Nichols；　with　a　London　address。
　'Uncle　Ira'　Nutty　choked。　'Twenty　pounds！　He's　left　me　twenty　pounds；　and　all　the　rest　to　ato　a　man　named　Dawlish！'
　In　silence　Elizabeth　took　the　letter。　It　was　even　as　he　had　said。　A　few　moments　before　Elizabeth　had　been　regretting　the　imminent　descent　of　wealth　upon　her　brother。　Now　she　was　inconsistent　enough　to　boil　with　rage　at　the　shattering　blow　which　had　befallen　him。　That　she；　too；　had　lost　her　inheritance　hardly　occurred　to　her。　Her　thoughts　were　all　for　Nutty。　It　did　not　need　the　sight　of　him；　gasping　and　gurgling　before　her；　to　tell　her　how　overwhelming　was　his　disappointment。
　It　was　useless　to　be　angry　with　the　deceased　Mr　Nutbe。　He　was　too　shadowy　a　mark。　Besides；　he　was　dead。　The　whole　current　of　her　wrath　turned　upon　the　supplanter；　this　Lord　Dawlish。　She　pictured　him　as　a　crafty　adventurer；　a　wretched　fortune…hunter。　For　some　reason　or　other　she　imagined　him　a　sinister　person　with　a　black　moustache；　a　face　thin　and　hawk…like；　and　unpleasant　eyes。　That　was　the　sort　of　man　who　would　be　likely　to　fasten　his　talons　into　poor　Uncle　Ir