蓝色特快上的秘密-蓝色列车之谜-蓝色列车(英文版)-第9节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Charming　as　she　looked；　Lady　Tamplin　was；　for　once；　not　thinking　of　herself。　That　is　to　say；　she　was　not　thinking　of　her　appearance。　She　was　intent　on　graver　matters。　Lady　Tamplin　was　a　well…known　figure　on　the　Riviera；　and　her　parties　at　the　Villa　Marguerite　were　justly　celebrated。　She　was　a　woman　of　considerable　experience；　and　had　had　four　husbands。　The　first　had　been　merely　an　indiscretion；　and　so　was　seldom　referred　to　by　the　lady。　He　had　had　the　good　sense　to　die　with　mendable　promptitude；　and　his　widow　thereupon　espoused　a　rich　manufacturer　of　buttons。　He　too　had　departed　for　another　sphere　after　three　years　of　married　life　…　it　was　said　after　a　congenial　evening　with　some　good　panions。　After　him　came　Viscount　Tamplin；　who　had　placed　Rosalie　securely　on　those　heights　where　she　wished　to　tread。　She　had　retained　her　title　when　she　married　for　a　fourth　time。　This　fourth　venture　had　been　undertaken　for　pure　pleasure。　Mr　Charles　Evans；　an　extremely　good…looking　young　man　of　twenty…seven；　with　delightful　manners；　a　keen　love　of　sport；　and　an　appreciation　of　this　world's　goods；　had　no　money　of　his　own　whatsoever。　Lady　Tamplin　was　very　pleased　and　satisfied　with　life　generally；　but　she　had　occasional　faint　preoccupations　about　money。　

The　button　manufacturer　had　left　his　widow　a　considerable　fortune；　but；　as　Lady　Tamplin　was　wont　to　say；　〃what　with　one　thing　and　another　…〃　（one　thing　being　the　depreciation　of　stocks　owing　to　the　war；　and　the　other　the　extravagances　of　the　late　Lord　Tamplin）。　She　was　still　fortably　off。　But　to　be　merely　fortably　off　is　hardly　satisfactory　to　one　of　Rosalie　Tamplin's　temperament。　

So；　on　this　particular　January　morning；　she　opened　her　blue　eyes　extremely　wide　as　she　read　a　certain　item　of　news　and　uttered　that　nonmittal　monosyllable　〃Well。〃　

The　only　other　occupant　of　the　balcony　was　her　daughter；　the　Hon　Lenox　Tamplin。　A　daughter　such　as　Lenox　was　a　sad　thorn　in　Lady　Tamplin's　side；　a　girl　with　no　kind　of　tact；　who　actually　looked　older　than　her　age；　and　whose　peculiar　sardonic　form　of　humour　was；　to　say　the　least　of　it；　unfortable。　

〃Darling；〃　said　Lady　Tamplin；　〃just　fancy。〃　

〃What　is　it？〃　

Lady　Tamplin　picked　up　the　Daily　Mail；　handed　it　to　her　daughter；　and　indicated　with　an　agitated　forefinger　the　paragraph　of　interest。　

Lenox　read　it　without　any　of　the　signs　of　agitation　shown　by　her　mother。　She　handed　back　the　paper。　

〃What　about　it？〃　she　asked。　〃It　is　the　sort　of　thing　that　is　always　happening。　Cheeseparing　old　women　are　always　dying　in　villages　and　leaving　fortunes　of　millions　to　their　humble　panions。〃　

〃Yes；　dear；　I　know；〃　said　her　mother；　〃and　I　dare　say　the　fortune　is　not　anything　like　as　large　as　they　say　it　is；　newspapers　are　so　inaccurate。　But　even　if　you　cut　it　down　by　half　…〃　

〃Well；〃　said　Lenox；　〃it　has　not　been　left　to　us。〃　

〃Not　exactly；　dear；〃　said　Lady　Tamplin；　〃but　this　girl；　this　Katherine　Grey；　is　actually　a　cousin　of　mine。　One　of　the　Worcestershire　Greys；　the　Edgeworth　lot。　My　very　own　cousin！　Fancy！〃　

〃Ah…ha；〃　said　Lenox。　

〃And　I　was　wondering　…〃　said　her　mother。　

〃What　there　was　in　it　for　us；〃　finished　Lenox；　with　that　sideways　smile　that　her　mother　always　found　difficult　to　understand。　

〃Oh；　darling；〃　said　Lady　Tamplin；　on　a　faint　note　of　reproach。　

It　was　very　faint；　because　Rosalie　Tamplin　was　used　to　her　daughter's　outspokenness　and　to　what　she　called　Lenox's　unfortable　way　of　putting　things。　

〃I　was　wondering；〃　said　Lady　Tamplin；　again　drawing　her　artistically　pencilled　brows　together；　〃whether　…　oh；　good　morning；　Chubby　darling；　are　you　going　to　play　tennis？　How　nice！〃　

Chubby；　thus　addressed；　smiled　kindly　at　her；　remarked　perfunctorily；　〃How　topping　you　look　in　that　peach…coloured　thing；〃　and　drifted　past　them　and　down　the　steps。　

〃The　dear　thing；〃　said　Lady　Tamplin；　looking　affectionately　after　her　husband。　

〃Let　me　see；　what　was　I　saying？　Ah！〃　She　switched　her　mind　back　to　business　once　more。　〃I　was　wondering　…〃　

〃Oh；　for　God's　sake　get　on　with　it。　That　is　the　third　time　you　have　said　that。〃　

〃Well；　dear；〃　said　Lady　Tamplin；　〃I　was　thinking　that　if　would　be　very　nice　if　I　wrote　to　dear　Katherine　and　suggested　that　she　should　pay　us　a　little　visit　out　here。　Naturally；　she　is　quite　out　of　touch　with　Society。　It　would　be　nicer　for　her　to　be　launched　by　one　of　her　own　people。　An　advantage　for　her　and　an　advantage　for　us。〃　

〃How　much　do　you　think　you　would　get　her　to　cough　up？〃　asked　Lenox。　

Her　mother　looked　at　her　reproachfully　and　murmured。　

〃We　should　have　to　e　to　some　financial　arrangement；　of　course。　What　with　one　thing　and　another　…　the　war　…　your　poor　father　…〃　

〃And　Chubby　now；〃　said　Lenox。　〃He　is　an　expensive　luxury　if　you　like。〃　

〃She　was　a　nice　girl　as　I　remember　her；〃　murmured　Lady　Tamplin；　pursuing　her　own　line　of　thought　…〃quiet；　never　wanted　to　shove　herself　forward；　not　a　beauty；　and　never　a　man…hunter。〃　

〃She　will　leave　Chubby　alone；　then？〃　said　Lenox。　

Lady　Tamplin　looked　at　her　in　protest。　

〃Chubby　would　never　…〃　she　began。　

〃No；〃　said　Lenox；　〃I　don't　believe　he　would；　he　knows　a　jolly　sight　too　well　which　way　his　bread　is　buttered。〃　

〃Darling；〃　said　Lady　Tamplin；　〃you　have　such　a　coarse　way　of　putting　things。〃　

〃Sorry；〃　said　Lenox。　

Lady　Tamplin　gathered　up　the　Daily　Mail　and　her　negligee；　a　vanity…bag；　and　various　odd　letters。　

〃I　shall　write　to　dear　Katherine　at　once；〃　she　said；　〃and　remind　her　of　the　dear　old　days　at　Edgeworth。〃　

She　went　into　the　house；　a　light　of　purpose　shining　in　her　eyes。　

Unlike　Mrs　Samuel　Harfield；　correspondence　flowed　easily　from　her　pen。　She　covered　four　sheets　without　pause　or　effort；　and　on　re…reading　it　found　no　occasion　to　alter　a　word。　

Katherine　received　it　on　the　morning　of　her　arrival　in　London。　Whether　she　read　between　the　lines　of　it　or　not　is　another　matter。　

She　put　it　in　her　handbag　and　started　out　to　keep　the　appointment　she　had　made　with　Mrs　Harfield's　lawyers。　

The　firm　was　an　old…established　one　in　Lincoln's　Inn　Fields；　and　after　a　few　minutes'　delay　Katherine　was　shown　into　the　presence　of　the　senior　partner；　a　kindly；　elderly　man　with　shrewd　blue　eyes　and　a　fatherly　manner。　

They　discussed　Mrs　Harfield's　will　and　various　legal　matters　for　some　minutes；　then　Katherine　handed　the　lawyer　Mrs　Samuel's　letter。　

〃I　had　better　show　you　this；　I　suppose；〃　she　said；　〃though　it　is　really　rather　ridiculous。〃　

He　read　it　with　a　slight　smile。　

〃Rather　a　crude　attempt；　Miss　Grey。　I　need　hardly　tell　you；　I　suppose；　that　these　people　have　no　claim　of　any　kind　upon　the　estate；　and　if　they　endeavour　to　contest　the　will　no　court　will　uphold　them。〃　

〃I　thought　as　much。〃　

〃Human　nature　is　not　always　very　wise。　In　Mrs　Samuel　Harfield's　place；　I　should　have　been　more　inclined　to　make　an　appeal　to　your　generosity。〃　

〃That　is　one　of　the　things　I　wanted　to　speak　to　you　about。　I　should　like　a　certain　sum　to　go　to　these　people。〃　

〃There　is　no　obligation。〃　

〃I　know　that。〃　

〃And　they　will　not　take　it　in　the　spirit　it　is　meant。　They　will　probably　regard　it　as　an　attempt　to　pay　them　off；　though　they　will　not　refuse　it　on　that　account。〃　

〃I　can　see　that；　and　it　can't　be　helped。〃　

〃I　should　advise　you；　Miss　Grey；　to　put　that　idea　out　of　your　head。〃　

Katherine　shook　her　head。　〃You　are　quite　right；　I　know；　but　I　should　like　it　done　all　the　same。〃　

〃They　will　grab　at　the　money　and　abuse　you　all　the　more　afterwards。〃　

〃Well；〃　said　Katherine；　〃let　them　if　they　like。　We　all　have　our　own　ways　of　enjoying　ourselves。　They　were；　after　all；　Mrs　Harfield's　only　relatives；　and　though　they　despised　her　as　a　poor　relation　and　paid　no　attention　to　her　when　she　was　alive；　it　seems　to　me　unfair　that　they　should　be　cut　off　with　nothing。〃　

She　carried　her　point；　though　the　lawyer　was　still　unwilling；　and　she　presently　went　out　into　the　streets　of　London　with　a　fortable　assurance　that　she　could　spend　the　money　freely　and　make　what　plans　she　liked　for　the　future。　Her　first　action　was　to　visit　the　establishment　of　a　famous　dressmaker。　

A　slim；　elderly　Frenchwoman；　rather　like　a　dreaming　duchess；　received　her；　and　Katherine　spoke　with　a　certain　naiveté。　

〃I　want；　if　I　may；　to　put　myself　in　your　hands。　I　have　been　very　poor　all　my　life　and　know　nothing　about　clothes；　but　now　I　have　e　into　some　money　and　want　to　look　really　well　dressed。〃　

The　Frenchwoman　was　charmed。　She　had　an　artist's　temperament；　which　had　been　soured　earlier　in　the　morning　by　a　visit　from　an　Argentine　meat　queen；　who　had　insisted　on　having　those　models　least　suited　to　her　flamboyant　type　of　beauty。　She　scrutinized　Katherine　with　keen；　clever　eyes。　〃Yes　…　yes；　it　will　be　a　pleasure；　Mademoiselle　has　a　very　good　figure；　for　her　the　simple　lines　will　be　best。　She　is　also　très　anglaise。　Some　people　it　would　offend　them　if　I　said　that；　but　Mademoiselle；　no。　Une　belle　Anglaise；　there　is　no　style　more　delightful。〃　

The　demeanour　of　a　dreaming　duchess　was　suddenly　put　off。　She　screamed　out　diction　to　various　mannequins。　〃Clothilde；　Virginie；　quickly；　my　little　ones；　the　little　tailleur　gris　clair　and　the　robe　de　soirée　soupir　d'automne。　Marcelle；　my　child；　the　little　mimosa　suit　of　crepe　de　chine。〃　

It　was　a　charming