The Grey Wig: Stories and Novelettes

by Израэль Зангвилл

  His heart stood still. He went down a few stairs and listened.

  "Not another stroke of work do you do in my house, Mary Ann!" Then there was silence, save for the thumping of his own heart. What had happened?

  He heard Mrs. Leadbatter mounting the kitchen stairs, wheezing and grumbling, "Well, of all the sly little things!"

  Mary Ann had been discovered. His blood ran cold at the thought. The silly creature had been unable to keep the secret.

  "Not a word about 'im all this time. Oh, the sly little thing! Who would hever a-believed it?"

  And then, in the intervals of Mrs. Leadbatter's groanings, there came to him the unmistakable sound of Mary Ann sobbing-violently, hysterically. He turned from cold to hot in a fever of shame and humiliation. How had it all come about? Oh, yes, he could guess. The gloves! What a fool he had been! Mrs. Leadbatter had unearthed the box. Why did he give her more than the pair that could always be kept hidden in her pocket? Yes, it was the gloves. And then there was the canary. Mrs. Leadbatter had suspected he was leaving her for a reason. She had put two and two together, she had questioned Mary Ann, and the ingenuous little idiot had naively told her he was going to take her with him. It didn't really matter, of course; he didn't suppose Mrs. Leadbatter could exercise any control over Mary Ann, but it was horrible to be discussed by her and Rosie; and then there was that meddlesome vicar, who might step in and make things nasty.

  Mrs. Leadbatter's steps and wheezes and grumblings had arrived in the passage, and Lancelot hastily stole back into his room, his heart continuing to flutter painfully.

  He heard the complex noises reach his landing, pass by, and move up higher. She wasn't coming in to him then; he could endure the suspense no longer. He threw open his door and said, "Is there anything the matter?"

  Mrs. Leadbatter paused and turned her head.

  "His there anything the matter!" she echoed, looking down upon him. "A nice thing when a woman's troubled with hastmer and brought 'ome 'er daughter to take 'er place, that she should 'ave to start 'untin' afresh!"

  "Why, is Rosie going away?" he said, immeasurably relieved.

  "My Rosie! She's the best girl breathing. It's that there Mary Ann!"

  "Wh-a-t!" he stammered. "Mary Ann leaving you?"

  "Well, you don't suppose," replied Mrs. Leadbatter, angrily, "as I can keep a gel in my kitchen as is a-goin' to 'ave 'er own nors-end-kerridge!"

  "Her own horse and carriage!" repeated Lancelot, utterly dazed. "Whatever are you talking about?"

  "Well-there's the letter!" exclaimed Mrs. Leadbatter, indignantly. "See for yourself if you don't believe me. I don't know how much two and a 'arf million dollars is-but it sounds unkimmonly like a nors-end-kerridge-and never said a word about 'im the whole time, the sly little thing!"

  The universe seemed oscillating so that he grasped at the letter like a drunken man. It was from the vicar. He wrote:-

  "I have much pleasure in informing you that our dear Mary Ann is the fortunate inheritress of two and a half million dollars by the death of her brother Tom, who, as I learn from the lawyers who have applied to me for news of the family, has just died in America, leaving his money to his surviving relatives. He was rather a wild young man, but it seems he became the lucky possessor of some petroleum wells which made him wealthy in a few months. I pray God Mary Ann may make a better use of the money than he would have done. I want you to break the news to her, please, and to prepare her for my visit. As I have to preach on Sunday, I cannot come to town before, but on Monday (D.V.) I shall run up and shall probably take her back with me, as I desire to help her through the difficulties that will attend her entry into the new life. How pleased you will be to think of the care you took of the dear child during these last five years. I hope she is well and happy; I think you omitted to write to me last Christmas on the subject. Please give her my kindest regards and best wishes and say I shall be with her (D.V.) on Monday."

  The words swam uncertainly before Lancelot's eyes, but he got through them all at last. He felt chilled and numbed. He averted his face as he handed the letter back to Mary Ann's "missus."

  "What a fortunate girl!" he said in a low, stony voice.

  "Fortunate ain't the word for it! The mean, sly little cat! Fancy never telling me a word about 'er brother all these years-me as 'as fed her, and clothed her, and lodged her, and kepper out of all mischief, as if she'd bin my own daughter; never let her go out Bankhollidayin' in loose company-as you can bear witness yourself, sir-and eddicated 'er out of 'er country talk and rough ways, and made 'er the smart young woman she is, fit to wait on the most troublesome of gentlemen. And now she'll go away and say I used 'er 'arsh, and overworked 'er, and Lord knows what, don't tell me! Oh, my poor chest!"

  "I think you may make your mind quite easy," said Lancelot, grimly. "I'm sure Mary Ann is perfectly satisfied with your treatment."

  "But she ain't-there, listen! don't you hear her going on?" Poor Mary Ann's sobs were still audible, though exhaustion was making them momently weaker. "She's been going on like that ever since I broke the news to 'er and gave her a piece of my mind-the sly little cat! She wanted to go on scrubbing the kitchen, and I had to take the brush away by main force. A nice thing, indeed! A gel as can keep a nors-end-kerridge down on the cold kitchen stones! 'Twasn't likely I could allow that. 'No, Mary Ann,' says I, firmly, 'you're a lady, and if you don't know what's proper for a lady, you'd best listen to them as does. You go and buy yourself a dress and a jacket to be ready for that vicar who's been a real good kind friend to you; he's coming to take you away on Monday, he is, and how will you look in that dirty print? Here's a suvrin,' says I, 'out of my 'ard-earned savin's-and get a pair o' boots, too: you can git a sweet pair for 2s. 11d. at Rackstraw's afore the sale closes,' and with that I shoves the suvrin into 'er hand instead o' the scrubbin' brush, and what does she do? Why, busts out a-cryin' and sits on the damp stones, and sobs, and sulks, and stares at the suvrin in her hand as if I'd told her of a funeral instead of a fortune!" concluded Mrs. Leadbatter, alliteratively.

  "But you did-her brother's death," said Lancelot. "That's what she's crying about."

  Mrs. Leadbatter was taken aback by this obverse view of the situation; but recovering herself, she shook her head. "I wouldn't cry for no brother that lef me to starve when he was rollin' in two and a 'arf million dollars," she said sceptically. "And I'm sure my Rosie wouldn't. But she never 'ad nobody to leave her money, poor dear child, except me, please Gaud. It's only the fools as 'as the luck in this world." And having thus relieved her bosom, she resumed her panting progress upwards.

  The last words rang on in Lancelot's ears long after he had returned to his room. In the utter breakdown and confusion of his plans and his ideas, it was the one definite thought he clung to, as a swimmer in a whirlpool clings to a rock. His brain refused to concentrate itself on any other aspect of the situation-he could not, would not, dared not, think of anything else. He knew vaguely he ought to rejoice with her over her wonderful stroke of luck, that savoured of the fairy-story, but everything was swamped by that one almost resentful reflection. Oh, the irony of fate! Blind fate showering torrents of gold upon this foolish, babyish household drudge; who was all emotion and animal devotion, without the intellectual outlook of a Hottentot, and leaving men of genius to starve, or sell their souls for a handful of it! How was the wisdom of the ages justified! Verily did fortune favour fools. And Tom-the wicked-he had flourished as the wicked always do, like the green bay tree, as the Psalmist discovered ever so many centuries ago.

  But gradually the wave of bitterness waned. He found himself listening placidly and attentively to the joyous trills and roulades of the canary, till the light faded and the grey dusk crept into the room and stilled the tiny winged lover of the sunshine. Then Beethoven came and rubbed himself against his master's leg, and Lancelot got up, as one wakes from a dream, and stretched his cramped limbs dazedly, and rang the bell mechanically for tea. He was groping on the mantel-piece f
or the matches when the knock at the door came, and he did not turn round till he had found them. He struck a light, expecting to see Mrs. Leadbatter or Rosie. He started to find it was merely Mary Ann.

  But she was no longer merely Mary Ann, he remembered with another shock. She loomed large to him in the match-light-he seemed to see her through a golden haze. Tumultuous images of her glorified gilded future rose and mingled dizzily in his brain.

  And yet, was he dreaming? Surely it was the same Mary Ann, with the same winsome face and the same large pathetic eyes, ringed though they were with the shadow of tears. Mary Ann, in her neat white cap-yes-and in her tan kid gloves. He rubbed his eyes. Was he really awake? Or-a thought still more dizzying-had he been dreaming? He had fallen asleep and reinless fancy had played him the fantastic trick, from which, cramped and dazed, he had just awakened to the old sweet reality.

  "Mary Ann!" he cried wildly. The lighted match fell from his fingers and burnt itself out unheeded on the carpet.

  "Yessir."

  "Is it true"-his emotion choked him-"is it true you've come into two and a half million dollars?"

  "Yessir, and I've brought you some tea."

  The room was dark, but darkness seemed to fall on it as she spoke.

  "But why are you waiting on me, then?" he said slowly. "Don't you know that you-that you-"

  "Please, Mr. Lancelot, I wanted to come in and see you."

  He felt himself trembling.

  "But Mrs. Leadbatter told me she wouldn't let you do any more work."

  "I told missus that I must; I told her she couldn't get another girl before Monday, if then, and if she didn't let me I wouldn't buy a new dress and a pair of boots with her sovereign-it isn't suvrin, is it, sir?"

  "No," murmured Lancelot, smiling in spite of himself.

  "With her sovereign. And I said I would be all dirty on Monday."

  "But what can you get for a sovereign?" he asked irrelevantly. He felt his mind wandering away from him.

  "Oh, ever such a pretty dress!"

  The picture of Mary Ann in a pretty dress painted itself upon the darkness. How lovely the child would look in some creamy white evening dress with a rose in her hair. He wondered that in all his thoughts of their future he had never dressed her up thus in fancy, to feast his eyes on the vision.

  "And so the vicar will find you in a pretty dress," he said at last.

  "No, sir."

  "But you promised Mrs. Leadbatter to-"

  "I promised to buy a dress with her sovereign. But I shan't be here when the vicar comes. He can't come till the afternoon."

  "Why, where will you be?" he said, his heart beginning to beat fast.

  "With you," she replied, with a faint accent of surprise.

  He steadied himself against the mantel-piece.

  "But-" he began, and ended, "is that honest?"

  He dimly descried her lips pouting. "We can always send her another when we have one," she said.

  He stood there, dumb, glad of the darkness.

  "I must go down now," she said. "I mustn't stay long."

  "Why?" he articulated.

  "Rosie," she replied briefly.

  "What about Rosie?"

  "She watches me-ever since she came. Don't you understand?"

  This time he was the dullard. He felt an extra quiver of repugnance for Rosie, but said nothing, while Mary Ann briskly lit the gas, and threw some coals on the decaying fire. He was pleased she was going down; he was suffocating; he did not know what to say to her. And yet, as she was disappearing through the doorway, he had a sudden feeling things couldn't be allowed to remain an instant in this impossible position.

  "Mary Ann!" he cried.

  "Yessir."

  She turned back-her face wore merely the expectant expression of a summoned servant. The childishness of her behaviour confused him, irritated him.

  "Are you foolish?" he cried suddenly; half regretting the phrase the instant he had uttered it.

  Her lip twitched.

  "No, Mr. Lancelot!" she faltered.

  "But you talk as if you were," he said less roughly. "You mustn't run away from the vicar just when he is going to take you to the lawyer's to certify who you are, and see that you get your money."

  "But I don't want to go with the vicar-I want to go with you. You said you would take me with you." She was almost in tears now.

  "Yes-but don't you-don't you understand that-that," he stammered; then, temporising, "but I can wait."

  "Can't the vicar wait?" said Mary Ann. He had never known her show such initiative.

  He saw that it was hopeless-that the money had made no more dint upon her consciousness than some vague dream, that her whole being was set towards the new life with him, and shrank in horror from the menace of the vicar's withdrawal of her in the opposite direction. If joy and redemption had not already lain in the one quarter, the advantages of the other might have been more palpably alluring. As it was, her consciousness was "full up" in the matter, so to speak. He saw that he must tell her plain and plump, startle her out of her simple confidence.

  "Listen to me, Mary Ann."

  "Yessir."

  "You are a young woman-not a baby. Strive to grasp what I am going to tell you."

  "Yessir," in a half sob, that vibrated with the obstinate resentment of a child that knows it is to be argued out of its instincts by adult sophistry. What had become of her passive personality?

  "You are now the owner of two and a half million dollars-that is about five hundred thousand pounds. Five-hundred thousand-pounds. Think of ten sovereigns-ten golden sovereigns like that Mrs. Leadbatter gave you. Then ten times as much as that, and ten times as much as all that"-he spread his arms wider and wider-"and ten times as much as all that, and then"-here his arms were prematurely horizontal, so he concluded hastily but impressively,-"and then FIFTY times as much as all that. Do you understand how rich you are?"

  "Yessir." She was fumbling nervously at her gloves, half drawing them off.

  "Now all this money will last forever. For you invest it-if only at three per cent.-never mind what that is-and then you get fifteen thousand a year-fifteen thousand golden sovereigns to spend every-"

  "Please, sir, I must go now. Rosie!"

  "Oh, but you can't go yet. I have lots more to tell you."

  "Yessir; but can't you ring for me again?"

  In the gravity of the crisis, the remark tickled him; he laughed with a strange ring in his laughter.

  "All right; run away, you sly little puss."

  He smiled on as he poured out his tea; finding a relief in prolonging his sense of the humour of the suggestion, but his heart was heavy, and his brain a-whirl. He did not ring again till he had finished tea.

  She came in, and took her gloves out of her pocket.

  "No! no!" he cried, strangely exasperated. "An end to this farce! Put them away. You don't need gloves any more."

  She squeezed them into her pocket nervously, and began to clear away the things, with abrupt movements, looking askance every now and then at the overcast handsome face.

  At last he nerved himself to the task and said: "Well, as I was saying, Mary Ann, the first thing for you to think of is to make sure of all this money-this fifteen thousand pounds a year. You see you will be able to live in a fine manor house-such as the squire lived in in your village-surrounded by a lovely park with a lake in it for swans and boats-"

  Mary Ann had paused in her work, slop-basin in hand. The concrete details were beginning to take hold of her imagination.

  "Oh, but I should like a farm better," she said. "A large farm with great pastures and ever so many cows and pigs and outhouses, and a-oh, just like Atkinson's farm. And meat every day, with pudding on Sundays! Oh, if father was alive, wouldn't he be glad!"

  "Yes, you can have a farm-anything you like."

  "Oh, how lovely! A piano?"

  "Yes-six pianos."

  "And you will learn me?"

  He shuddered and hesitat
ed.

  "Well-I can't say, Mary Ann."

  "Why not? Why won't you? You said you would! You learn Rosie."

  "I may not be there, you see," he said, trying to put a spice of playfulness into his tones.

  "Oh, but you will," she said feverishly. "You will take me there. We will go there instead of where you said-instead of the green waters." Her eyes were wild and witching.

  He groaned inwardly.

  "I cannot promise you now," he said slowly. "Don't you see that everything is altered?"

  "What's altered? You are here and here am I." Her apprehension made her almost epigrammatic.

  "Ah, but you are quite different now, Mary Ann."

  "I'm not-I want to be with you just the same."

  He shook his head. "I can't take you with me," he said decisively.

  "Why not?" She caught hold of his arm entreatingly.

  "You are not the same Mary Ann-to other people. You are a somebody. Before, you were a nobody. Nobody cared or bothered about you-you were no more than a dead leaf whirling in the street."

  "Yes, you cared and bothered about me," she cried, clinging to him.

  Her gratitude cut him like a knife. "The eyes of the world are on you now," he said. "People will talk about you if you go away with me now."

  "Why will they talk about me? What harm shall I do them?"

  Her phrases puzzled him.

  "I don't know that you will harm them," he said slowly, "but you will harm yourself."

  "How will I harm myself?" she persisted.

  "Well, one day, you will want a-a husband. With all that money it is only right and proper you should marry-"

  "No, Mr. Lancelot, I don't want a husband. I don't want to marry. I should never want to go away from you."

  There was another painful silence. He sought refuge in a brusque playfulness.

  "I see you understand I'm not going to marry you."

  "Yessir."

  He felt a slight relief.

  "Well, then," he said, more playfully still. "Suppose I wanted to go away from you, Mary Ann?"