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Authors: Philip Pullman
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bore advertisements for governesses.
Having penciled some notes in the margin of the paper, she walked briskly to Mr. Temple's chambers in Lincoln's Inn. It was a fine morning, after the incessant drizzle of the night before, and the sun lifted her spirits.
Mr. Temple's clerk admitted her. The lawyer was very busy, very busy indeed, but he might be prevailed upon to see her for five minutes. She was shown into the office; Mr. Temple, bald and lean and brisk, got up to shake her hand.
"How much money have I got, Mr. Temple.^" she asked, after they had exchanged greetings.
He reached for a large book and wrote down some figures.
"Four hundred and fifty pounds in two and a half percent Treasury Stock; one hundred and eighty ordinary shares in the Lx)ndon and Southeastern Railway Company; two hundred preference shares in the Royal Mail Steam Navigation Company.... Are you sure that you want to know all this.^"
"Everything, please." She was following in the newspaper as he read.
He continued. It was not a long list.
"And the income," he concluded, "is, in round terms—"
"About forty pounds a year," she said.
"How did you know that?"
"I worked it out as you were reading the Hst."
"Good Lord."
"And I believe I have a measure of control over my money?"
"A great deal. Far too much, in my view. I tried to dissuade your father, but nothing would make him change his mind—so I drew up the will as he told me."
"Then it's a good thing you failed. Mr. Temple, Td like you to arrange to sell three hundred pounds of the Treasury Stock and buy equally among the following companies: the Great Western Railway Company; the Gas, Light, and Coke Company; and C. H. Parsons, Limited."
His jaw fell, but he wrote down her instructions.
"Furthermore," she said, "those preference shares in the Royal Mail Steam Navigation Company—sell those, please, and buy ordinary shares in the P and O. That should bring the income up to a little over fifty. I shall look at it again in a month or so, when . . . when I have time. I take it that there is some money paid on my account now to Mrs. Rees?"
"Mrs. Rees was paid . . ." He turned a page. "One hundred pounds on your father's death. That was a legacy, of course, not a payment for any service that might be rendered. The trustees—of whom I am one—came to an agreement by which the income from the trust should be paid on your behalf to Mrs. Rees while you remained under her roof."
"I see," said Sally. That woman had been receiving all her income, while accusing her of living on charity! "Well," she went on, "I have been discussing things with Mrs. Rees, and it will be best if the income is paid directly
yo The Ruby in the Smoke
to me from now on. Could you arrange for it to be paid into my account at the Strand branch of the London and Midland Bank?"
Mr. Temple looked decidedly troubled. He sighed and wrote it down, but said nothing.
"And finally, Mr. Temple, may I have some money now? You didn't mention a current account, but there must be one."
He turned a page in her ledger.
"It contains twenty-one pounds, six shillings, and nine-pence," he said. "How much would you like to withdraw?"
"Twenty pounds, please."
He opened a cashbox and counted out the money in gold.
"Miss Lockhart, I ask you simply—is this wise?"
"It is what I want to do. And I have the right to do it, so it V ill be done. One day, Mr. Temple, I promise I'll tell you why. Oh—^there is another thing. ..."
He pushed the cashbox away and faced her. "Yes?"
"Did my father ever mention a Major Marchbanks?"
"I have heard the name. I don't think your father had seen him for many years. A friend from his army days, I believe."
"Or a Mrs. Holland?"
He shook his head.
"Or anything at all called the Seven Blessings?"
"What an extraordinary name. No, Miss Lx)ckhart, he didn't."
"Then I won't take up any more of your time, Mr. Temple; but what about my father's share of his own firm? I had expected that to be worth
Having penciled some notes in the margin of the paper, she walked briskly to Mr. Temple's chambers in Lincoln's Inn. It was a fine morning, after the incessant drizzle of the night before, and the sun lifted her spirits.
Mr. Temple's clerk admitted her. The lawyer was very busy, very busy indeed, but he might be prevailed upon to see her for five minutes. She was shown into the office; Mr. Temple, bald and lean and brisk, got up to shake her hand.
"How much money have I got, Mr. Temple.^" she asked, after they had exchanged greetings.
He reached for a large book and wrote down some figures.
"Four hundred and fifty pounds in two and a half percent Treasury Stock; one hundred and eighty ordinary shares in the Lx)ndon and Southeastern Railway Company; two hundred preference shares in the Royal Mail Steam Navigation Company.... Are you sure that you want to know all this.^"
"Everything, please." She was following in the newspaper as he read.
He continued. It was not a long list.
"And the income," he concluded, "is, in round terms—"
"About forty pounds a year," she said.
"How did you know that?"
"I worked it out as you were reading the Hst."
"Good Lord."
"And I believe I have a measure of control over my money?"
"A great deal. Far too much, in my view. I tried to dissuade your father, but nothing would make him change his mind—so I drew up the will as he told me."
"Then it's a good thing you failed. Mr. Temple, Td like you to arrange to sell three hundred pounds of the Treasury Stock and buy equally among the following companies: the Great Western Railway Company; the Gas, Light, and Coke Company; and C. H. Parsons, Limited."
His jaw fell, but he wrote down her instructions.
"Furthermore," she said, "those preference shares in the Royal Mail Steam Navigation Company—sell those, please, and buy ordinary shares in the P and O. That should bring the income up to a little over fifty. I shall look at it again in a month or so, when . . . when I have time. I take it that there is some money paid on my account now to Mrs. Rees?"
"Mrs. Rees was paid . . ." He turned a page. "One hundred pounds on your father's death. That was a legacy, of course, not a payment for any service that might be rendered. The trustees—of whom I am one—came to an agreement by which the income from the trust should be paid on your behalf to Mrs. Rees while you remained under her roof."
"I see," said Sally. That woman had been receiving all her income, while accusing her of living on charity! "Well," she went on, "I have been discussing things with Mrs. Rees, and it will be best if the income is paid directly
yo The Ruby in the Smoke
to me from now on. Could you arrange for it to be paid into my account at the Strand branch of the London and Midland Bank?"
Mr. Temple looked decidedly troubled. He sighed and wrote it down, but said nothing.
"And finally, Mr. Temple, may I have some money now? You didn't mention a current account, but there must be one."
He turned a page in her ledger.
"It contains twenty-one pounds, six shillings, and nine-pence," he said. "How much would you like to withdraw?"
"Twenty pounds, please."
He opened a cashbox and counted out the money in gold.
"Miss Lockhart, I ask you simply—is this wise?"
"It is what I want to do. And I have the right to do it, so it V ill be done. One day, Mr. Temple, I promise I'll tell you why. Oh—^there is another thing. ..."
He pushed the cashbox away and faced her. "Yes?"
"Did my father ever mention a Major Marchbanks?"
"I have heard the name. I don't think your father had seen him for many years. A friend from his army days, I believe."
"Or a Mrs. Holland?"
He shook his head.
"Or anything at all called the Seven Blessings?"
"What an extraordinary name. No, Miss Lx)ckhart, he didn't."
"Then I won't take up any more of your time, Mr. Temple; but what about my father's share of his own firm? I had expected that to be worth
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