IV

It was a couple of days later that Mary acquainted Nurse Hopkins with her improved prospects¹.

That practical woman was warmly congratulatory.

“That’s a great piece of luck for you, Mary,” she said. “The old lady may have meant well byyou, but unless a thing’s down in black and white, intentions don’t go for much! You might easilyhave got nothing at all.”

“Miss Elinor said that the night Mrs. Welman died she told her to do something for me.”

Nurse Hopkins snorted.

“Maybe she did. But there’s many would have forgotten conveniently afterwards. Relations arelike that. I’ve seen a few things, I can tell you! People dying and saying they know they can leaveit to their dear son or their dear daughter to carry out their wishes. Nine times out of ten, dear sonand dear daughter find some very good reason to do nothing of the kind. Human nature’s humannature, and nobody likes parting with money if they’re not legally compelled to! I tell you, Mary,my girl, you’ve been lucky. Miss Carlisle’s straighter than most.”

Mary said slowly:

“And yet—somehow—I feel she doesn’t like me.”

“With good reason, I should say,” said Nurse Hopkins bluntly. “Now, don’t look so innocent,Mary! Mr. Roderick’s been making sheep’s eyes at you for some time now.”

Mary went red.

Nurse Hopkins went on:

“He’s got it badly, in my opinion. Fell for you all of a sudden. What about you, my girl? Gotany feelings for him?”

Mary said hesitatingly:

“I—I don’t know. I don’t think so. But of course, he’s very nice.”

“H’m,” said Nurse Hopkins. “He wouldn’t be my fancy! One of those men who are finicky anda bundle of nerves. Fussy² about their food, too, as likely as not. Men aren’t much at the best oftimes. Don’t be in too much of a hurry, Mary, my dear. With your looks you can afford to pick andchoose. Nurse O’Brien passed the remark to me the other day that you ought to go on the films.

They like blondes, I’ve always heard.”

Mary said, with a slight frown creasing³ her forehead:

“Nurse, what do you think I ought to do about Father? He thinks I ought to give some of thismoney to him.”

“Don’t you do anything of the kind,” said Nurse Hopkins wrathfully. “Mrs. Welman nevermeant that money for him. It’s my opinion he’d have lost his job years ago if it hadn’t been foryou. A lazier man never stepped!”

Mary said:

“It seems funny when she’d all that money that she never made a will to say how it was to go.”

Nurse Hopkins shook her head.

“People are like that. You’d be surprised. Always putting it off.”

Mary said:

“It seems downright silly to me.”

Nurse Hopkins said with a faint twinkle:

“Made a will yourself, Mary?”

Mary stared at her.

“Oh, no.”

“And yet you’re over twenty-one.”

“But I—I haven’t got anything to leave—at least I suppose I have now.”

Nurse Hopkins said sharply:

“Of course you have. And a nice tidy little sum, too.”

Mary said:

“Oh, well, there’s no hurry….”

“There you go,” said Nurse Hopkins drily. “Just like everyone else. Because you’re a healthyyoung girl isn’t a reason why you shouldn’t be smashed up in a charabanc or a bus, or run over inthe street any minute.”

Mary laughed. She said:

“I don’t even know how to make a will.”

“Easy enough. You can get a form at the post office. Let’s go and get one right away.”

In Nurse Hopkins’ cottage, the form was spread out and the important matter discussed. NurseHopkins was enjoying herself thoroughly⁴. A will, as she said, was next best to a death, in heropinion.

Mary said:

“Who’d get the money if I didn’t make a will?”

Nurse Hopkins said rather doubtfully:

“Your father, I suppose.”

Mary said sharply:

“He shan’t have it. I’d rather leave it to my auntie in New Zealand.”

Nurse Hopkins said cheerfully:

“It wouldn’t be much use leaving it to your father, anyway—he’s not long for this world, Ishould say.”

Mary had heard Nurse Hopkins make this kind of pronouncement too often to be impressed byit.

“I can’t remember my auntie’s address. We’ve not heard from her for years.”

“I don’t suppose that matters,” said Nurse Hopkins. “You know her Christian⁵ name?”

“Mary. Mary Riley.”

“That’s all right. Put down you leave everything to Mary Riley, sister of the late Eliza Gerrardof Hunterbury, Maidensford.”

Mary bent⁶ over the form, writing. As she came to the end she shivered suddenly. A shadow hadcome between her and the sun. She looked up to see Elinor Carlisle standing⁷ outside the windowlooking in. Elinor said:

“What are you doing so busily?”

Nurse Hopkins said with a laugh:

“She’s making her will, that’s what she’s doing.”

“Making her will?” Suddenly Elinor laughed—a strange laugh—almost hysterical⁸.

She said:

“So you’re making your will, Mary. That’s funny. That’s very funny….”

Still laughing, she turned away and walked rapidly along the street.

Nurse Hopkins stared.

“Did you ever? What’s come to her?”

 

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