[Pg 28] "Not here. Somehow, Miss," turning to me, "I thought it never sounded as if it could be true. I thought there'd be some kind of a 'have,' sort of!" [Pg 28] "And, subject to your approval always, I should be inclined to allow that capital to remain where it is," continued the old lawyer in his polished accent. "There remains, of course, the income from the capital. This amounts, at present, to ten thousand pounds a year in English money——" "What is that," breathed the new heiress, "what is that a quarter, sir? It seems more natural like that." "Two thousand five hundred pounds, Miss Million." "Lor'!" breathed the owner of this wealth. "And me that's been getting five pounds a quarter. That other's mine?" "After a few necessary formalities, from which I anticipate no difficulties," said the old gentleman. Some discussion of these formalities followed. In the midst of it I saw Million begin to fidget even more restlessly. I frowned at her. This drew the attention of the old gentleman upon me. Million was murmuring something about, "Very sorry. Got to get back soon, Miss. Lunch to lay——" Absurd Million! As if she would ever have to lay lunch again as long as she lived! Couldn't she realise the upheaval in her world? I gazed reproachfully at her. The lawyer said to me quite pleasantly: "May I ask if you are a relation of Miss Million?" Hereupon Miss Million shot at him a glance of outrage. [Pg 29] "A relation? Her?" she cried. "The ideear!" Little Million's sense of "caste," fostered at the Soldiers' Orphanage, is nearly as strong as my Aunt Anastasia's. No matter if her secret day-dream has always been "to marry a gentleman." She was genuinely shocked that her old lawyer had not realised the relations between her little hard-working self and our family. [Pg 29] Her So she announced with simple dignity: "This is Miss Lovelace, the young lady where I am in service." "Were in service," I corrected her.
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