藍色特快上的秘密-藍色列車之謎-藍色列車(英文版)

第8部分 (第2/7頁)

ld's　place；　I　should　have　been　more　inclined　to　make　an　appeal　to　your　generosity。〃

〃That　is　one　of　the　things　I　wanted　to　speak　to　you　about。　I　should　like　a　certain　sum　to　go　to　these　people。〃

〃There　is　no　obligation。〃

〃I　know　that。〃

〃And　they　will　not　take　it　in　the　spirit　it　is　meant。　They　will　probably　regard　it　as　an　attempt　to　pay　them　off；　though　they　will　not　refuse　it　on　that　account。〃

〃I　can　see　that；　and　it　can't　be　helped。〃

〃I　should　advise　you；　Miss　Grey；　to　put　that　idea　out　of　your　head。〃

Katherine　shook　her　head。　〃You　are　quite　right；　I　know；　but　I　should　like　it　done　all　the　same。〃

〃They　will　grab　at　the　money　and　abuse　you　all　the　more　afterwards。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Katherine；　〃let　them　if　they　like。　We　all　have　our　own　ways　of　enjoying　ourselves。　They　were；　after　all；　Mrs　Harfield's　only　relatives；　and　though　they　despised　her　as　a　poor　relation　and　paid　no　attention　to　her　when　she　was　alive；　it　seems　to　me　unfair　that　they　should　be　cut　off　with　nothing。〃

She　carried　her　point；　though　the　lawyer　was　still　unwilling；　and　she　presently　went　out　into　the　streets　of　London　with　a　fortable　assurance　that　she　could　spend　the　money　freely　and　make　what　plans　she　liked　for　the　future。　Her　first　action　was　to　visit　the　establishment　of　a　famous　dressmaker。

A　slim；　elderly　Frenchwoman；　rather　like　a　dreaming　duchess；　received　her；　and　Katherine　spoke　with　a　certain　naiveté。

〃I　want；　if　I　may；　to　put　myself　in　your　hands。　I　have　been　very　poor　all　my　life　and　know　nothing　about　clothes；　but　now　I　have　e　into　some　money　and　want　to　look　really　well　dressed。〃

The　Frenchwoman　was　charmed。　She　had　an　artist's　temperament；　which　had　been　soured　earlier　in　the　morning　by　a　visit　f