been read, as some of these had been read, over and over and over again.
But now, tonight, he did not feel as if he could commune with any comfort even with one of these comfortable, unexacting friends. He felt too restless, too vividly alive. So suddenly he turned away from the bookcase, and looked about him. A large French box-bed had taken the place of the narrow, old-fashioned bedstead of his youth; and his mother had had moved up to this room a narrow writing-table from the study on the ground floor which no one ever used. He walked over to that writing-table now, and sat down. On it, close to his left hand, stood a large despatch-box. He opened and took out of it a square sheet of paper on which was embossed his Mexican address. Drawing two lines across that address, and putting in the present date, September 19th, he waited, his pen poised in his hand for a full minute. Then he began writing rather quickly, and this is what he wrote:
"MY DEAR LAURA,--Godfrey suggests that I should act as your trustee, in succession to Mr. Blackmore. Am I to understand that this suggestion has your approval? If yes, I will of course consent to act. But please do not think I shall be offended if you decide otherwise. You may prefer some woman of your acquaintance. Women, whatever Godfrey may tell you, make excellent men of business. They are, if anything, over-prudent, over-cautious where money is concerned; but that is a very good fault in a trustee."
His handwriting was small and clear, but he had left large spaces between the lines, and now he was at the end of the sheet of paper. There was just room for another sentence and his signature. He waited, hesitating and of two minds, till the ink was dry, and then he began again, close to the bottom of the sheet:
"Before we meet again I wish to say one further thing."
He put this first sheet aside, and took another of the same size from the box by his side:"You said something to-day which affected me painfully. You
spoke as if what I have done for your brother caused you to
carry a weight of almost intolerable gratitude. So far as
any such feeling should exist between us, the gratitude
should be on my side. In sober truth Gillie has been
invaluable to me.
"I remain,
"Yours sincerely,"
Prev.
Back
Top