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第6部分（第2页）

Chapter　7

LETTERS

〃Mrs　Samuel　Harfield　presents　her　pliments　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　ladys　plate　on　the　following　morning　at　breakfast…time　in　pany　with　a　more　important　looking　munication　in　a　long　blue　envelope。

Katherine　Grey　opened　Mrs　Harfields　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　remend　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　e　to　old　Mrs　Harfield　as　panion。

It　was　generally　recognized　that　old　Mrs　Harfield　was　〃difficult。〃　panions　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　e　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　an；　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；　acpanied　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　Harfields　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。　〃Dont　you　let　it　worry　you；　my　dear。　Theyre　talking　through　their　hat。　Mrs　Harfields　intellect　was　as　good　as　yours　or　mine；　and　you　wont　get　anyone　to　say　the　contrary。　They　wouldnt　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；　dont　let　them　get　round　you　with　soft　soap　either。　Dont　get　fancying　its　your　duty　to　hand　over　the　cash；　or　any　tomfoolery　of　conscientious　scruples。〃

〃Im　afraid　it　hasnt　occurred　to　me　to　have　scruples；〃　said　Katherine。　〃All　these　people　are　distant　relatives　of　Mrs　Harfields　husband；　and　they　never　came　near　her　or　took　any　notice　of　her　in　her　lifetime。〃

〃Youre　a　sensible　woman；〃　said　the　doctor。　〃I　know；　none　better；　that　youve　had　a　hard　life　of　it　for　the　last　ten　years。　Youre　fully　entitled　to　enjoy　the　old　ladys　savings；　such　as　they　were。〃

Katherine　smiled　thoughtfully。

〃Such　as　they　were；〃　she　repeated。　〃Youve　no　idea　of　the　amount；　doctor？〃