"Well," said Mr. Amos Hughes, a week later, in the cool dusk of Dr.
Lavendar's study, just before tea, "this is a most extraordinary
situation, sir!"
"Will ye have a pipe?" said Dr. Lavendar, hospitably.
John Carter, his feet well apart, his back to the fireless grate, his
hands thrust down into his pockets, said, looking over at his partner:
"Amos, Dr. Lavendar once remarked to me that there was no telling what
human critters would do."
Dr. Lavendar chuckled.
"Very true," Amos Hughes admitted, putting one fat knee over the other;
"but I must say that I never before knew a human critter throw away
L5000."
"I'm sorry you haven't had better acquaintances," said Dr. Lavendar.
"I have. I'm not in the least surprised at this child's behavior. Mr.
Carter, are you looking for anything? You'll find a decanter on the
sideboard in the next room, sir. This is a pretty good world, Mr. Amos
Hughes; I've lived in it longer than you have, so you'll take my word
for it. It's a pretty good old world, and Miss Alice Gray has simply
decided to do the natural and proper thing. Why, what else could she
do?"
"I could mention at least one other thing," said Mr. Carter.
"Extraordinary situation! but I suppose the residuary legatees won't
make any objection," murmured Amos Hughes.
Dr. Lavendar rapped on the table with the bowl of his pipe. "My dear
sir, would you have a girl, for a paltry L5000, break her father's
heart?"
"Her father?"
"Mr. Gray would not, in my judgment, survive such a revelation," said
Dr. Lavendar, stiffly.
"May I ask one question?" John Carter said.
"G'on," said Dr. Lavendar.
"What I would like to know is: How did you bring Miss Gray to look at
the thing in this way?"
"I didn't bring her," said Dr. Lavendar, indignantly; "her Heavenly
Father brought her. Look here, sir; this business of the law is all
very well, and necessary, I suppose, in its way, but let me tell you,
it's a dangerous business. You see so much of the sin of human nature
that you get to thinking human nature has got to sin. You are
mistaken, sir; it has got to be decent. We are the children of God,
sir. I beg that you'll remember that--and then you won't be surprised
when a child like our Alice does the right thing. Surprise is
confession, Mr. Carter."
Mr. Carter laughed, and apologized as best he could for his view of
human nature; and Dr. Lavendar was instantly amicable and forgiving.
He took Mr. Amos Hughes's warning, that he should, as a matter of duty,
lay very clearly before the young lady the seriousness of what she
proposed to do, and not until he had exhausted every argument would he
permit her to sign the papers of release which (as a matter of
precaution) he had prepared. "She's of age," said Amos Hughes, "and
nobody can say that she has not a right to refuse to proceed further in
the matter. But I shall warn her."
"'Course, man," said Dr. Lavendar; "that's your trade."
And so the evening came, and the three men went up to Robert Gray's
house.
It was a long evening. More than once Dr. Lavendar trembled as he saw
the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them spread before his
child's eyes. But he said no word, and once, sternly, he laid his hand
on Rebecca's arm to check some word of hers.
"Let her alone," he said.
It was eleven o'clock before there came a moment of solemn silence.
Alice bent over a paper, which John Carter had read aloud to her, and
signed her name. Luther and Rebecca and Dr. Lavendar witnessed the
signature. Then Rebecca Gray took the girl in her arms.
"That young man has got something to him," Mr. Amos Hughes said, as
they went back to the Rectory.
"If you could put some printing in his way, it would be a favor to me,"
said Dr. Lavendar.
"I shouldn't wonder if I could," the lawyer said.
"The girl is a fine creature, poor child," said Mr. Carter.
"Gentlemen," said Dr. Lavendar, "they are both good children, and they
have behaved well; but there's somebody else, let me tell you!"
However, he did not tell them. Perhaps he kept his opinion for Robert
Gray's ears, for once he said, smiling, in Rebecca's presence:
"Robert, this wife of yours is a noble woman."
Mr. Gray, a little surprised, said, politely, looking with kind eyes at
Rebecca, "Mrs. Gray is a very good wife, sir."
And Rebecca went up and hid herself in the garret and cried with joy.