第32章 CHAPTER VI EXPERIENCES(6)

"Now， dear boy，" she went on after pausing to recover strength， "I have a third thing to say to you. I have left you some money， as I know that you will have little. It is not every much， but enough， allowing for accidents and the lessening of capital values， to give you ā260 a year clear. I might have given you more， but did not， for two reasons. The first is， that I have observed that young men who have what is called a competence， say ā500 or ā600 a year， very often are content to try and live on it， and to do nothing for themselves， so that in the end it becomes， not a blessing， but a curse. The second is， that to do so I should be obliged to take away from certain charities and institutions which I wish to benefit. That is all I have to say about money. Oh！ no， there is one more thing. I have also left you the talisman you gave me， and with it this house and grounds.

Perhaps one day you might like to live here. I have a sort of feeling that it will be useful to you at some great crisis of your fate， and at least it will remind you of me， who have loved and tried to beautify the place. In any case it will always let， and if it becomes a white elephant， you can sell it and the furniture， which is worth something."

Godfrey began to stammer his thanks， but she cut him short with a wave of her hand， murmuring：

"Don't let us waste more time on such things， for soon you must go away. Already I see that nurse looking at me from the doorway of the other room， and I have something more to say to you. You will come to think that all this spiritualism， as it is called， is nothing but a dangerous folly. Well， it is dangerous， like climbing the Alps， but one gets a great view from the top. And， oh！ from there how small men look and how near are the heavens. I mean， my dear boy， that although I have asked you to abjure séances and so forth， I do pray of you to cultivate the spiritual. The physical， of course， is always with us， for that is Nature's law， without which it could not continue. But around and beyond it broods the spirit， as once it did upon the face of the waters， encircling all things； the beginning of all things， and the end. Only， as wine cannot be poured into a covered cup， so the spirit cannot flow into a world-sealed heart， and what is the cup without the wine？ Open your heart， Godfrey， and receive the spirit， so that when the mortal perishes the immortal may remain and everlastingly increase. For you know， if we choose death we shall die， and if we choose life we shall live； we， and all that is dear to us."

Miss Ogilvy paused a little to get her breath， then went on： "Now， my boy， kiss me and go. But first--one word more. I have taken a strange affection for you， perhaps because we were associated in other existences， I do not know. Well， I want to say that from the land whither I am about to be borne， it shall be my great endeavour， if it is so allowed， to watch over you， to help you if there be need， and in the end to be among the first to greet you there， you， or any whom you may love in this journey of yours through life. Look， the sun is sinking. Now， goodbye till the dawn."

He bent down and kissed her and she kissed him back， throwing her thin and feeble arm about his neck， after which the nurse came and hurried him away weeping. At the door he turned back and saw her smile at him， and， oh！ on her wasted face were peace and beauty.

Next day she died.

Forty-eight hours later Godfrey attended her funeral， to which the Pasteur Boiset was also bidden， and after it was over they were both summoned to the office of a notary where her will was read. She was a rich woman， who left behind her property to the value of quite ā100，000， most of it in England. Indeed， this Swiss notary was only concerned with her possessions in Lucerne， namely the Villa Ogilvy， its grounds and furniture， and certain moneys that she had in local securities or at the bank. The house， its appurtenances and contents， were left absolutely to Godfrey， the Pasteur Boiset being appointed trustee of the property until the heir came of age， with a legacy of ā200， and an annual allowance of ā100 for his trouble.

Moreover， with tender care， except for certain bequests to servants， the testatrix devoted all her Swiss moneys to be applied to the upkeep of the place， with the proviso that if it were sold these capital sums should revert to her other heirs in certain proportions. The total of such moneys as would pass with the property， was estimated by the notary to amount to about ā4，000 sterling， after the payment of all State charges and legal expenses. The value of the property itself， with the fine old French furniture and pictures which it contained， was also considerable， but unascertained. For the rest it would appear that Godfrey inherited about ā12，000 in England， together with a possible further sum of which the amount was not known， as residuary legatee. This bequest was vested in the English trustees of the testatrix who were instructed to apply the interest for his benefit until he reached the age of twenty-five， after which the capital was to be handed over to him absolutely.

Godfrey， whose knowledge of the French tongue was still limited， and who was overcome with grief moreover after the sad scene through which he had just passed， listened to all these details with bewilderment.

He was not even elated when the grave notary shook his hand and congratulated him with the respect that is accorded to an heir， at the same time expressing a hope that he would be allowed to remain his legal representative in Switzerland. Indeed， the lad only muttered something and slipped away behind the servants whose sorrow was distracted by the exercise of mental arithmetic as to the amount of their legacies.

After his first stupefaction， however， the Pasteur could not conceal his innocent joy. A legacy of ā200， a trusteeship "of the most important，" as he called it， and an allowance of ā100 for years to come， were to him wonderful wealth and honour.

"Truly， dear young friend，" he said to Godfrey， as they left the office， "it was a fortunate hour for me， and for you also， when you entered my humble house. Now I am not only your instructor， but the guardian of your magnificent Lucerne property. I assure you that I will care for it well. To-morrow I will interview those domestics and dismiss at least half of them， for there are far too many."