not be wholly incorrect, and that, therefore, it was fortunate that I did not die on the night we were married."
"I don't."
"You wouldn't-you have, of course, your own point of view. From mine it is fortunate that I have been spared to enable me to make another will."
"How are you going to make a will, when you can't move so much as a finger?"
"I can have one drawn up according to my instructions. You will find that I'm capable of signing it. Would you have any objection?"
"It would depend on what there was in it."
"I see. May I ask if you are under the impression that if I die without a will-even supposing our marriage is valid-"
"It's valid enough, don't you be afraid."
"I'm not afraid; you, I fancy, have the cause to fear. But I say, supposing our marriage is a marriage-as to which I say nothing either one way or the other-if I die intestate do you imagine that you will necessarily come into possession of all I have?"
"Have you any relatives?"
"Not one in the whole wide world."
"Then you bet I shall."
"You may bet you won't."
"Who's got more right to what you leave behind than your lawful wife?"
"It depends. Under no circumstances would you inherit more than half of my personal property, and a third of my real estate; the rest would go to the Crown."
"Half's something! Look here, Dr. Twelves told me that if I married you I should have twenty thousand pounds. Have you got as much?"
There was an interval before an answer came. Possibly the man in the bed was considering what answer he should make to such a very leading question.
"I cannot tell you exactly what I have got, but I may safely venture to assert this much: If all I possess-land, houses, shares and so on-were to be turned into cash to-morrow, I should find myself with at least two hundred thousand pounds."
"Two hundred thousand pounds! Go on!"
"This is a curious world, and Fortune is a curious jade; she bestows her gifts with feminine irresponsibility. She gives one health and strength and youth-and empty pockets-just when he could get enjoyment out of full ones. To another, crippled limbs, physical helplessness, premature old age-and pockets brimming over-just when money is of as little use to him as pictures to the blind. I have been denied most things except fortune. Sounds ironical, doesn't it? As with Midas, everything I have touched has turned to gold-in my case a thing wholly worthless. I never made a bad money speculation in my life. I doubt if I ever made an investment which did not pay me ten per cent. Some of my investments have paid me forty and fifty per cent, for years, and are worth ten times what I gave for them. I wasn't worth twenty thousand pounds when I began life; now, to adopt your phraseology, I'll bet I'm worth more than a quarter of a million."
"And yet you live in a place like this, without a horse in the stable, and the garden like a wilderness!"
"Why shouldn't I? Where would you have me live? In a castle? with an array of servants who would take my money and from whom I should have to hide. A well-bred servant wouldn't be able to endure the sight of such an object as I am. All I need is a bed to lie on, some one to put food between my lips, money to pay for it. Since here I have those things, here I have all I need. Besides, you should bear in mind that, as nothing is being spent, there will be all the more to leave behind."
She was silent; her face turned towards the open window, the miniature in its jewelled case still in her hand. His words had fired her imagination. A quarter of a million! – this man worth a quarter of a million! – and he supposed himself to be her husband! Not long ago she had told herself that a certain and clear five pounds a week earned by singing and dancing at the minor music halls would be her idea of fortune. She had married that deceitful humbug, Gregory Lamb, because she believed that he might possibly have as much as a thousand a year. What was a thousand a year compared to a quarter of a million! If he died without a will half of it would be hers, or was it a third? Why shouldn't she have more than that? If he had no relatives to make a fuss, why shouldn't she have it all?
Even as she asked herself the question an answer came to her dimly, yet with sufficient clearness to start her trembling. It was born of an idea which would have disposed most women to do more than tremble. Her breath came faster; her eyes brightened; something like a smile wrinkled her lips; the vista presented to her imagination, which would have appalled most persons, titillated her.
After a while she asked, without turning her head-
"If you were to make a will, what would you put in it?"
"I'll show you."
"When?"
"Now. There's a secret hiding-place in this room. If you tried do you think that you could find it?"
"I'd find it fast enough."
"Then find it."
"What sort of place is it?"
"That's asking for assistance. I'll give you this much. It's in the wall, concealed by a panel of wood. Now I've given you the scent, follow it to a finish-if you can."
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