chapter 7 letters

"mrs samuel harfield presents her compliments to miss katherine grey and wishes to point out that under the circumstances miss grey may not be aware -"

mrs harfield, having written so far fluently, came to a dead stop, held up by what has proved an insuperable difficulty to many other people - namely, the difficulty of expressing oneself fluently in the third person.

after a minute or two of hesitation, mrs harfield tore up the sheet of notepaper and started afresh.

"dear miss grey,

whilst fully appreciating the adequate way you discharged your duties to my cousin emma (whose recent death has indeed been a

severe blow to us all), i cannot but feel -"

again mrs harfield came to a stop. once more the letter was consigned to the wastepaper-basket.

it was not until four false starts had been made that mrs harfield at last produced an epistle that satisfied her. it was duly sealed and stamped and addressed to miss katherine grey, little crampton, st mary mead, kent, and it lay beside that lady's plate on the following morning at breakfast-time in company with a more important looking communication in a long blue envelope.

katherine grey opened mrs harfield's letter first. the finished production ran as follows:

"dear miss grey,

my husband and i wish to express our thanks to you for your services to my poor cousin, emma. her death has been a great blow to us, though we were, of course, aware that her mind has been failing for some time past. i understand that her latter testamentary dispositions have been of a most peculiar character, and they would not hold good, of course, in any court of law. i have no doubt that, with your usual good sense, you have already realized this fact. if these matters can be arranged privately it is always so much better, my husband says. we shall be pleased to recommend you most highly for a similar post and hope that you will also accept a small present. believe me, dear miss grey, yours cordially,

mary anne harfield."

katherine grey read the letter through, smiled a little, and read it a second time. her face as she laid the letter down after the second reading was distinctly amused. then she took up the second letter. after one brief perusal she laid it down and stared very straight in front of her. this time she did not smile. indeed, it would have been hard for anyone watching her to guess what emotions lay behind that quiet, reflective gaze.

katherine grey was thirty-three. she came of good family, but her father had lost all his money, and katherine had had to work for her living from an early age. she had been just twenty-three when she had come to old mrs harfield as companion.

it was generally recognized that old mrs harfield was "difficult." companions came and went with startling rapidity. they arrived full of hope and they usually left in tears. but from the moment katherine grey set foot in little crampton, ten years ago, perfect peace had reigned. no one knows how these things come about. snake-charmers, they say, are born, not made. katherine grey was born with the power of managing old ladies, dogs and small boys, and she did it without any apparent sense of strain.

at twenty-three she had been a quiet girl with beautiful eyes. at thirty-three she was a quiet woman, with those same grey eyes, shining steadily out on the world with a kind of happy serenity that nothing could shake.

moreover, she had been born with, and still possessed, a sense of humour.

as she sat at the breakfast-table, staring in front of her, there was a ring at the bell, accompanied by a very energetic rat-a-tat-tat at the knocker. in another minute the little maid-servant opened the door and announced rather breathlessly:

"dr harrison."

the big, middle-aged doctor came buzzing in with the energy and breeziness that had been fore-shadowed by his onslaught on the knocker.

"good morning, miss grey."

"good morning, dr harrison."

"i dropped in early," began the doctor, "in case you should have heard from one of those harfield cousins. mrs samuel, she calls herself - a perfectly poisonous person."

without a word, katherine picked up mrs harfield's letter from the table and gave it to him. with a good deal of amusement she watched his perusal of it, the drawing together of the bushy eyebrows, the snorts and grunts of violent disapproval. he dashed it down again on the table.

"perfectly monstrous," he fumed. "don't you let it worry you, my dear. they're talking through their hat. mrs harfield's intellect was as good as yours or mine, and you won't get anyone to say the contrary. they wouldn't have a leg to stand upon, and they know it. all that talk of taking it into court is pure bluff. hence this attempt to get round you in a hole-and-corner way. and look here, my dear, don't let them get round you with soft soap either. don't get fancying it's your duty to hand over the cash, or any tomfoolery of conscientious scruples."

"i'm afraid it hasn't occurred to me to have scruples," said katherine. "all these people are distant relatives of mrs harfield's husband, and they never came near her or took any notice of her in her lifetime."

"you're a sensible woman," said the doctor. "i know, none better, that you've had a hard life of it for the last ten years. you're fully entitled to enjoy the old lady's savings, such as they were."

katherine smiled thoughtfully.

"such as they were," she repeated. "you've no idea of the amount, doctor?"

"well - enough to bring in five hundred a year or so, i suppose."

katherine nodded.

"that's what i thought," she said. "now read this."

she handed him the letter she had taken from the long blue envelope. the doctor read and uttered an exclamation of utter astonishment.

"impossible," he muttered. "impossible."

"she was one of the original shareholders in mortaulds. forty years ago she must have had an income of eight or ten thousand a year. she has never, i am sure, spent more than four hundred a year. she was always terribly careful about money. i always believed that she was obliged to be careful about every penny."

"and all the time the income has accumulated at compound interest. my dear, you're going to be a very rich woman."

katherine grey nodded.

"yes," she said, "i am."

she spoke in a detached, impersonal tone, as though she were looking at the situation from outside.

"well," said the doctor, preparing to depart, "you have all my congratulations." he flicked mrs samuel harfield's letter with his thumb. "don't worry about that woman and her odious letter."

"it really isn't an odious letter," said miss grey tolerantly. "under the circumstances, i think it's really quite a natural thing to do."

"i have the gravest suspicions of you sometimes," said the doctor.

"why?"

"the things that you find perfectly natural."

katherine grey laughed.

doctor harrison retailed the great news to his wife at lunch-time. she was very excited about it.

"fancy old mrs harfield - with all that money. i'm glad she left it to katherine grey. that girl's a saint."

the doctor made a wry face.

"saints i always imagine must have been difficult people. katherine grey is too human for a saint."

"she's a saint with a sense of humour," said the doctor's wife, twinkling. "and, though i don't suppose you've ever noticed the fact, she's extremely good looking."

"katherine grey?" the doctor was honestly surprised. "she's got very nice eyes, i know."

"oh, you men!" cried his wife. "blind as bats. katherine's got all the makings of a beauty in her. all she wants is clothes!"

"clothes? what's wrong with her clothes? she always looks very nice."

mrs harrison gave an exasperated sigh, and the doctor rose preparatory to starting on his rounds.

"you might look in on her, polly," he suggested.

"i'm going to," said mrs harrison promptly.

she made her call about three o'clock.

"my dear, i'm so glad," she said warmly, as she squeezed katherine's hand. "and everyone in the village will be glad too."

"it's very nice of you to come and tell me," said katherine. "i hoped you would come, because i wanted to ask about johnnie."

"oh! johnnie. well -"

johnnie was mrs harrison's youngest son. in another minute she was off, retailing a long history in which johnnie's adenoids and tonsils bulked largely. katherine listened sympathetically. habits die hard. listening had been her portion for ten years now. "my dear, i wonder if i ever told you about that naval ball at portsmouth? when lord charles admired my gown?" and composedly, kindly, katherine would reply: "i rather think you have, mrs harfield, but i've forgotten about it. won't you tell it me again?" and then the old lady would start off full swing, with numerous details. and half of katherine's mind would be listening, saying the right things mechanically when the old lady paused...

now, with that same curious feeling of duality to which she was accustomed, she listened to mrs harrison.

at the end of half an hour, the latter recalled herself suddenly.

"i've been talking about myself all this time," she exclaimed. "and i came here to talk about you and your plans."

"i don't know that i've got any yet."

"my dear - you're not going to stay on here."

katherine smiled at the horror in the other's tone.

"no; i think i want to travel. i've never seen much of the world, you know."

"i should think not. it must have been an awful life for you cooped up here all these years."

"i don't know," said katherine. "it gave me a lot of freedom."

she caught the other's gasp, and reddened a little.

"it must sound foolish - saying that. of course, i hadn't much freedom in the downright physical sense -"

"i should think not," breathed mrs harrison, remembering that katherine had seldom had that useful thing as a "day off."

"but, in a way, being tied physically gives you lots of scope mentally. you're always free to think. i've had a lovely feeling always of mental freedom."

mrs harrison shook her head.

"i can't understand that."

"oh! you would if you'd been in my place. but, all the same, i feel i want a change. i want - well, i want things to happen. oh! not to me - i don't mean that. but to be in the midst of things, exciting things - even if i'm only the looker-on. you know, things don't happen in st mary mead."

"they don't indeed," said mrs harrison, with fervour.

"i shall go to london first," said katherine. "i have to see the solicitors, anyway. after that, i shall go abroad, i think."

"very nice."

"but, of course, first of all -"

"yes?"

"i must get some clothes."

"exactly what i said to arthur this morning," cried the doctor's wife. "you know, katherine, you could look possibly positively beautiful if you tried."

miss grey laughed unaffectedly.

"oh, i don't think you could ever make a beauty out of me," she said sincerely. "but i shall enjoy having some really good clothes. i'm afraid i'm talking about myself an awful lot."

mrs harrison looked at her shrewdly.

"it must be quite a novel experience for you," she said drily.

katherine went to say good-bye to old miss viner before leaving the village. miss viner was two years older than mrs harfield, and her mind was mainly taken up with her own success in outliving her dead friend.

"you wouldn't have thought i'd have outlasted jane harfield, would you?" she demanded triumphantly of katherine. "we were at school together, she and i. and here we are, she taken, and i left. who would have thought it?"

"you've always eaten brown bread for supper, haven't you?" murmured katherine mechanically.

"fancy your remembering that, my dear. yes; if jane harfield had had a slice of brown bread every evening and taken a little stimulant with her meals she might be here today."

the old lady paused, nodding her head triumphantly, then added in sudden remembrance:

"and so you've come into a lot of money, i hear? well, well. take care of it. and you're going up to london to have a good time?

don't think you'll get married, though, my dear, because you won't. you're not the kind to attract the men. and, besides, you're getting on. how old are you now?"

"thirty-three," katherine told her.

"well," remarked miss viner doubtfully, "that's not so very bad. you've lost your first freshness, of course."

"i'm afraid so," said katherine, much entertained.

"but you're a very nice girl," said miss viner kindly. "and i'm sure there's many a man might do worse than take you for a wife instead of one of these flibbertigibbets running about nowadays showing more of their legs than the creator ever intended them to. good-bye, my dear, and i hope you'll enjoy yourself, but things are seldom what they seem in this life."

heartened by these prophecies, katherine took her departure. half the village came to see her off at the station, including the little maid of all work, alice, who brought a stiff wired nosegay and cried openly.

"there ain't a many like her," sobbed alice when the train had finally departed. "i'm sure when charlie went back on me with that girl from the dairy, nobody could have been kinder than miss grey was, and though particular about the brasses and the dust, she was always one to notice when you'd give a thing an extra rub. cut myself in little pieces for her, i would, any day. a real lady, that's what i call her."

such was katherine's departure from st mary mead.

第七章 两封来信

当卡泰丽娜·格蕾小姐吃早饭的时候，桌子上放着两封信，其中一封是一个女人的字体，别外一封是用很讲究和庄重的信封寄来的。

第一封信的内容是这样：

“亲爱的格蕾小姐：请允许我们对您为我们那可怜的堂姐所付出的劳动表示

衷心的感谢，她的死对我们来说是一个沉重的打击，虽然我们早就知道了，她

长期以来已经是不省人事了。我们听说，她立了一个很可笑的遗嘱。当然世界

上决不会有一个法庭会承认那样的遗嘱。我们相信您那非凡的智慧会立即领会

这个事实。我的丈夫说，在我们私下之间了结此事是最好不过的了。您如能接

受我们热忱向您推荐一个合适的职务，那对我们来说将是莫大的欣慰，我们并

且希望，您不会拒绝接受我们的这份薄礼。

忠实于您的

玛丽·安娜·哈尔费德

卡泰丽娜看完这封信后，神秘地一笑。她又拿起了第一封信。大略看过之后，就把信放在桌子上，凝视着前方，陷入了深思。假如当时有一位目睹者在场，也很难猜透她的心思。

卡泰丽娜·格蕾小姐今年三十三岁，她本是名门闺秀，由于她父亲失去了全部产业，因此她从小就不得不自力更生。她在二十三岁的时候便到哈尔费德女士家里当养女。

哈尔费德女士十分挑剔，尽人皆知。她的养女换来换去已不止一人。她们满怀希望而来，饱含泪水而去。卡泰丽娜来的那天正值风和日丽，人们都说有一位降魔的人出世。

卡泰丽娜有一套本领，她能使老太婆、狗和孩子都乖乖地听话。

她二十三岁的时候，是一个沉默寡言的姑娘，有一双水汪汪的眼睛。到了三十三岁，她就变成了一位喜欢思考的妇女，但那双眼睛还是那么楚楚动人，并用一种不大在乎的、但绝对坚定的目光观察世界。除此之外，她还有一种幽默感，依靠这种幽默感，她在这个世界上成功地保护了自己。

早饭还没吃完，门铃就响了。侍女说哈里松先生来了。

这位医生身材高大，体魄健康，他紧紧地握了握卡泰丽娜的手。

“早上好，格蕾女士！”

“早安，哈里松先生！”

“我这么早来打扰您，”医生说，“因为我估计哈尔费德那些可爱的亲属们会来串门的。这位哈尔费德女士可是一条有名的毒蛇。”

卡泰丽娜一声不响地把哈尔费德女士的来信递给医生，并看着他带来的那只惊恐不安的小狗。

“卑鄙龌龊的毒蛇！”他叫道，把信扔到桌面上。“您不要怕她，孩子，完全是无稽之谈。那时老夫人头脑很清醒，同她和我一样。她所讲述的法院之类的话完全是吓唬人的，您不要生疑，您将对继承这笔财产。”

“对此我从来没有怀疑过。这些人同哈尔费德女士已故的丈夫稍有点儿沾亲带故，女士活着的时候，他们谁也不没有关心过她。”

“您是一位很明智的人。”医生说，“我比谁都了解，近几年您是多么不容易。您最有权利得到老夫人的这笔财产。”

卡泰丽娜深思地微笑了一下。

“医生，您说说，您是否知道这笔财产的数目？”

“嗯，我想年利是五百镑。”

卡泰丽娜点了一下头。

“我也是这样估计的，”她说道。“现在请您读一读这封信。”

她把那封封面考究的信递给了他。

医生看了一遍，惊奇地喊了一声：“不可能，简直是不可能！”

“她是考淘尔德人造丝公司的股东，这个公司一直生意兴隆。四十年来，她的年收入都在八千到一万镑之间。据我说知，这些钱她一笔也没动用过。您是知道的，她很俭朴。我总是那样看她，她花每个铜板，都得算计算计。”

“另外，这些年来她的财产一直有增无减。亲爱的孩子，您将是一位非常富有的女士。”

“是的。”卡泰丽娜肯定地回答道，“我将会是这样的。”

“我衷心地祝贺您！”医生说，“请您不必为那些敲竹杠的人操心。”

格蕾小姐却很大方，她说：“我认为她的举动还是可以理解的。”

“有时我对您倒是不太理解。”医生摇晃着头说道。

“怎么不理解？”

“您的所谓‘是可以理解的’怎么解释？”

卡泰丽娜只是笑着。

吃过午饭时，哈里松医生把这条消息告诉了他的太太，她极为激动。

“是的，哈尔费德女士是一个十分富有的女人，谁也不知道她到底有多少钱。我很高兴她把这笔财产留给格蕾女士。这个小姐是个圣女。”

医生做了一个鬼脸。

“同圣女打交道，我感到很不舒服。作为圣女，卡泰丽娜太人格化了些。”

“她的幽默感使她成了圣女。”太太说，“如果你不是这样认为的话，可以简单地说，她长得很美。”

医生似乎不以为然，他说道：“是的，她的眼睛很美。”

“噢，你们这些男人，简直是什么也不懂。卡泰丽娜若是穿上得体的衣裳，那才算美丽呢。”

“可是，我认为她的穿戴十分得体。”

下午三点钟光景，医生太太去看望卡泰丽娜小姐。

“我多么为您高兴啊，孩子！”她热切地说，“整个村子肯定都象我一样为您高兴。

可是，您有什么打算吗？”

“可以说还没有。”

“您不会长期地留在这里吧？”

“是的，我想去旅行。我对世界了解的太少了。”

“这一点我相信。您在这里呆了整整十年，这期间您几乎没有什么空闲。”

“说得明确一些，可以这么说，我想体验一下生活。这就是说，我不想局限于个人的一得之见，而想到外地去看看那里发生的事情，看看有哪些令人振奋的事，当然啦，如果这一切都允许我去见识见识的话。这这里，在玛丽麦德村，实在是太平淡了。”

“您说得对。”医生太太说。

“我首先去伦敦。”卡泰丽娜说，“在那里我要同律师谈一谈。然后我将去国外旅行。当然在这之前……”

“怎么？”

“我要穿戴一下。”

“您看，这正是要紧的事。我同我丈夫刚才还得到这件事。您知道吗？卡泰丽娜，若是您在穿戴上多少费点神，您会更漂亮些。”

“从我身上产生不了什么美。”卡泰丽娜笑着说道：“当然，如果有几件新衣裳，我也会高兴的。可是我发现人们没完没了的议论我。”

“可是这对您来说是新鲜事啊！”哈里松医生太太干巴巴地说道。

傍晚的时候，卡泰丽娜到维妮夫人那里去告别。这是一位比哈尔费德女士大两岁的老妇。老妇总以为，哈尔费德女士比她先死是她的一个胜利。

“我对燕妮不知说过多少次：每餐喝上一小杯酒，就能活到一百岁。如果燕妮不是那么顽固地忌酒的话，那她今天还会活在世上。”老妇微笑着，流露出满足和得意的神情。她突然想起了一件事。

“噢，您现在将得到一大笔财产，亲爱的，太好了。可是您得留心点，别被人偷走了。您不打算结婚吗？您到底多大年纪了？”

“三十三岁。”

“还不成问题，可是总有点……”

“但这是无法改变的。”卡泰丽娜风趣地说道。

“总而言之您是位好小姐，”老妇友好地说，“有些男人劝您结婚，都是一片好心。

同您结婚比同那些贱货好多了，那些人整天只知道卖弄她们的大腿，一直到人们看腻味了为止。再见，我的孩子，您可别把我忘啦。”

在火车站上，几乎是全村的居民都来同卡泰丽娜告别。那个小侍女哭得格外伤心。

“这样的人现在可不多。”她呜咽地说。这时火车已经缓慢地移动了。“那时当查理为了牛奶厂那个姑娘离开这里，她对我是那样的爱抚，简直是没说的。她主动地承担起清扫的重活；可是她自己呢，一旦发现别人累了，就劝人休息。我真愿把一切都给她！真是个好人，直的。”

这就是卡泰丽娜离开玛丽麦德村时的情景。