Chapter 6 chapter Five

1 "It was an eye-opening funeral." Nurse Hopkins commented with great emotion. Nurse O'Brien agreed with Hopkins, saying: "That goes without saying! The flowers are also very beautiful. Especially the harp made of white lilies and the cross made of rose flowers are even more beautiful. They are so beautiful that I can't find another one!" Nurse Hopkins sighed, picked another piece of cake and put it on her saucer.Two good friends were sitting in a coffee shop, discussing the just-concluded funeral with admiration.Nurse Hopkins continued: "Miss Eleanor is a very kind hearted person. She gave me a very nice present, though it was not necessary. . . . Of course, she has inherited such a large fortune. . . "

"Strange, the old lady didn't leave a will." Another nurse said. Hopkins interrupted her to say: "Mrs. Wellman shouldn't leave a will. People should be forced to write a will during their lifetime... If you don't do it, some unpleasant things will inevitably happen." "Interesting, if there is a will, then who will the money go to?" Nurse O'Brien wanted to continue to express her guess. "I just know one thing, a portion will go to Mary," Nurse Hopkins announced with some assurance. Nurse O'Brien was very excited, and with her rich Irish imagination, she echoed:

"You're right, Nurse Hopkins: I even thought Mrs. Wellman would surprise everybody if she wrote a will. Who knows, she might leave Mary everything. " "Not necessarily." Apparently Nurse Hopkins didn't believe it was possible, "But, I think it's a decent thing to leave all one's property to one's own flesh and blood." "Flesh and blood are far and near." After the Irish woman said this vaguely, she suddenly changed the subject: "By the way, did you find the morphine that day? Remember, the one that was lost?" Nurse Hopkins looked sullen, and reluctantly replied:

"No. I can't figure out where the morphine got lost. Probably, I left the glass tube with it on the edge of the mantelpiece, and when I closed the cupboard door, it rolled into the In the wastebasket." "It's very clear." Nurse O'Brien said, "Aside from the living room of the manor, didn't you keep the medicine box anywhere else? Therefore..." "Exactly," said Hopkins, taking over from O'Brien. "It wouldn't have happened otherwise, would it?" Eleanor looked very young in black filial piety.She sat solemnly at the large writing desk in the late aunt's study.She had just finished talking with Mrs. Bishop, the maid and housekeeper.At this moment Mary was entering the room hesitantly.

"You want me, Miss Eleanor?" asked Mary. Eleanor looked away from the documents on the desk, picked up her head and said to Mary: "Yes, Mary. Come and sit down, please." Mary sat on the sofa pointed by Eleanor.The bright sunlight streaming in through the window made Mary's fair skin and golden hair look even more dazzling.In order to block the incoming light, Eleanor gently covered her face with her palms, and at the same time secretly watched Mary's face.She thought: "Can she hate another person as I hate her, and not show such feelings of hatred?"

Elinor said in her quiet but melodious voice: "Perhaps you also know, Mary, that my aunt has always taken great care of you, and thought of your future?" Mary was very excited, and she said gratefully: "Mrs. Wellman's attention to me is extraordinary." Eleanor went on earnestly: "Although my aunt could hardly speak on her deathbed, I have found out that she wants to take care of your future. In fulfillment of her last wish, I will transfer two thousand pounds to your account as soon as I have formally claimed the inheritance. You can spend the money as you like."

Mary's cheeks became more flushed, and she said: "Two thousand! Oh, Miss Elinor, you are so kind, I don't even know what to say..." Eleanor's voice was sharp and loud, and she said: "I don't need you to say anything at all. But I want to know, do you have any plans?" Mary said without hesitation: "Oh, yes. I want to learn massage. Nurse Hopkins told me that too." "Well, that's a very clever idea. I'll ask Mr. Seddon to draw you some money quickly, if possible at once." "It's very kind of you," said Mary gratefully.

"I was merely fulfilling Aunt Laura's last wish," said Eleanor curtly. She hesitated for a moment, then said, "Let's talk about this, I think." Mary got it, no one here wanted to see her again.So she stood up, said a few more words of gratitude in a low voice, and walked out of the room. Eleanor sat motionless, her eyes staring straight ahead, and from her expressionless, dull face, no one could guess what she was thinking... 3 Eleanor finally regained her senses, she stood up and went to find Roddy.In the living room she found Roddy and said to him: "It's finally over! Five hundred pounds for Mrs Bishop, one hundred pounds for the cook, and fifty pounds each for the two maids. That leaves Gerard in the dressing room. Probably needs something like a pension." Bar."

She paused, then continued: "I'll give Miss Mary two thousand pounds. I think my aunt will do the same. What do you think?" Roddy turned to the window, avoiding her eyes, and replied: "You are quite right, Elinor. You are always so sensible and tactful." Eleanor held her breath for a moment, and then she spoke in a rapid, volley of words. "One more thing, Roddy. I want you to have a share. It's only fair." Roddy turned to Eleanor, his aristocratic face pale with rage.He said bitterly: "I don't need the filthy money! It's yours by law. Come on! I don't want a penny of yours, and I don't need your gift."

"Roddy!" Young people calm down. "Forgive me, darling, I don't know what I'm talking about myself. My head is in such a mess." After a moment of silence, he faltered and asked: "Do you know, Mary . . . what are you going to do?" "I heard from her that she wants to learn massage." There was another silence.Then Eleanor raised her head, and said firmly and quickly: "Take my advice, Roddy. I know you're very depressed. Go ahead and go abroad, for example, for three months. It's easy for you. .You think you love Mary now.It may be so.But now is not the time to talk to her about it.Our engagement is completely broken,you are a free man now,without any restraint,you go,these three months Clear your mind. If you are sure that you really love Mary, then you will come back and tell her that you are convinced that you love her. At that time, she may listen to you with a different attitude."

Roddy walked up to her and took her hands. "How kind of you, Eleanor! What a clear head and a free heart you have. You can't even imagine how much I admire you.I followed your advice, went abroad, and tried to find out whether I could not live without her, or whether I was deluding myself like the worst idiot.Oh, Eleanor, you are always a thousand times superior to me.Thank you for all this! "He obeyed the impulse of the moment, kissed her on the cheek, and then almost ran out of the living room. Fortunately, he didn't look back, so he couldn't see Eleanor's face at that time. 4 A few days later, Mary spoke to Nurse Hopkins about the bright future that lay before her.The slick, manly woman congratulated her warmly, without forgetting to pay Eleanor's generosity a few words of flattery. "I still feel," said Mary thoughtfully, "that she doesn't like me very much." "How can you think so?" said the nurse, laughing. "Don't you pretend to be an innocent and wronged sheep, Mary. Mr. Roddy fell in love with you at first sight, but what about you, my boy?" Mary stammered: "I... don't know. I don't think I like him very much. Of course he is very cute." The girl hurriedly changed the subject: "What do you think, nurse, how should I deal with my father? He wants me to give him part of the money." Hopkins immediately and decisively replied: "Don't be silly, Mary. If Mrs. Wellman had lived, she would have disapproved of it. I reckon she'd have fired the old slob long ago without you." "It's strange to say," said the girl thoughtfully, "that Mrs. Wellman didn't write a will in the end." Hopkins just shook his head and said, "That's the way people are. They're always stalling on this thing, lest they invite death." "What an absurd superstition!" The other party narrowed his eyes slyly. "Mary, have you written your will?" Mary gave her a surprised look and said, "I didn't have much to write about before. But now... well, why worry?" "You see," remarked the nurse in a cold, reproachful tone, "you're talking about superstitions too. Just because you're a young, strong girl now doesn't mean you won't be hit by a car tomorrow. " Mary smiled. "I don't even know how to write a will yet." "It's the easiest thing. You can get the will paper at the post office, and if you like, we can go there right away." They spread out the will paper on a table in the Hopkins home and studied how to fill it out.Apparently the nurse enjoyed herself for having successfully pulled off her ruse. Mary asked excitedly: "If I don't write a will, then who gets the money?" "Probably your father," Hopkins said uncertainly. "No." The girl frowned. "It's better to leave it to my aunt who lives in New Zealand. I can't remember her address. She hasn't heard from her for several years." "That's all right," Hopkins reassured her. "Don't you know her name?" "Her name is Mary, Mary Riley." "That's all. You left all your property in your will to Mary Riley, sister of your late mother Eliza Gerard." Mary bent down and began to fill out the will on the paper.Suddenly she shivered, because she didn't know whose shadow covered the sunlight.She looked up and found that Eleanor was looking into the room by Zhou.Eleanor asked: "What are you up to, Mary?" Hopkins replied with a smile: "She's writing a will." "A will?" Eleanor laughed suddenly. She laughed strangely, almost hysterically.Then the laughter broke off suddenly, and she asked again: "So you're really writing a will, Mary? How interesting..." Eleanor left Zhou Zi with a smile, and walked hurriedly along the path. The two women looked at her back in amazement. 5 Eleanor couldn't help laughing.She had just walked a few steps when suddenly someone touched her hand from behind.She stopped suddenly and turned around. It turned out to be Dr. Lord.He frowned slightly and looked directly at her. "What are you laughing at?" asked the doctor impolitely. Elinor blushed, and replied: "Honestly, I don't know myself. I just glanced at the room where your nurse, Zhou Zi, lived, and found Mary writing a will. For some reason, this made me laugh... I don't know, I don't know. What's the matter?" The doctor didn't take his eyes off Eleanor's face, he asked with interest: "Are you going to stay here long?" "Leave tomorrow." She spoke in a nonchalant tone as she held out her hand to Lord, evidently wanting to end this casual meeting quickly.The doctor didn't let go of her hand immediately, and asked stubbornly, "Miss Eleanor, please tell me, what were you thinking when you laughed just now?" Eleanor withdrew her hand impatiently and said: "I just find it ridiculous:" "You mean Mary's writing a will? But why? It's a very sensible way of getting out of a whole lot of trouble." It seemed that Eleanor had lost the last bit of patience. "Of course everyone should write a will. I'm laughing at something else entirely." Dr. Lord suddenly asked: "How are you?" "me?" "Didn't you just say that everyone should write a will. Did you write one too?" She gave the doctor a fat look, and then laughed again. "How strange," said the girl with a sigh. "No, I haven't had time to think about it. But, Doctor, you remind me. I'll write to Mr. Seddon at once." "You're right," Lord said approvingly. 6 Eleanor sat in the study and read the letter she had just written. Dear Mr. Seddon, I would like you to write a will for me and send it to me for signature.My will is simple.I will leave all my property to Roddy Wellman without any conditions. Thank you, Eleanor Carlyle Eleanor suddenly remembered that she had run out of stamps.There seemed to be a few more in the bedrooms upstairs though.She went upstairs.Roddy was standing by the window when she returned to the study, stamp in hand.He said: "Then we'll be leaving tomorrow. Good-bye, old quiet manor. We had a wonderful time here." "I'm going to sell the estate, you don't object?" "No, no! It seems that this is the best policy." Both sides fell silent.Then Elinor put the letter in the envelope, sealed it, and put a stamp on it.