第8部分(第2/8 頁)

〃Rather　a　crude　attempt；　Miss　Grey。　I　need　hardly　tell　you；　I　suppose；　that　these　people　have　no　claim　of　any　kind　upon　the　estate；　and　if　they　endeavour　to　contest　the　will　no　court　will　uphold　them。〃

〃I　thought　as　much。〃

〃Human　nature　is　not　always　very　wise。　In　Mrs　Samuel　Harfield'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　t