“His name, Milly! I never thought of it till a few minutes ago.
Lenny; of course he is Leonard; and when you think of it, papa had
Leonard in his name too.”
“I thought of it directly,” said Milly, with a little satisfaction.
Grace, in her excitement, threw her arms round her sister. “It is you
who ought to be the first of us two,” said Grace admiringly. “It is true
that I am the eldest--but so many things occur to you that never come
into my head.”
“It is because I have the time to think while you are talking,” Milly
said with modesty; but she was not displeased with this testimony to her
superior insight. She added, with a little awe: “Gracie, I wonder if
_that_--is our real name?”
This was a question that took away the breath of both. They looked at
each other almost with an inclination to laugh, then stopped short and
mutually contemplated the impulse with horror. “It is dreadful,” said
Milly, “isn’t it, to have a false name?”
“I don’t know,” said Grace, who had been so indignant an hour ago at the
suggestion; “it cannot be so very dreadful if papa did it. He must have
had his reasons for taking another name. There are reasons that account
for everything.” Her momentary humility had disappeared by this time,
and she felt equal to explaining all mysteries to her sister in her
usual way. “He must have been wronged somehow when he left home. I
suspect that Miss Anna, Milly; I am sure she is at the bottom of
everything. She must have told lies of him, or invented stories; and
then perhaps he was disinherited, and the money given to her. It would
not be money; it would be lands or an estate--perhaps a fine old house.”
Then they paused and looked at each other for a moment. “If that was how
it was, and we got it back, mamma would certainly have to come home
_then_.”
“But it could not be for all of us; it would only be for Lenny,” said
Milly doubtfully.
“Lenny is only fifteen; he would not be of age for ever so long. And
then it is always stipulated,” said Grace, “that when people have
estates, what is called a great stake in the country, they should be
educated in the country and made to understand it.” Insensibly she drew
herself up, holding her head higher at the thought--“Mamma would not
like it; but she would do what was best for Lenny----”
“Then I suppose--” Milly said, and now in spite of herself the smallest
little laugh, instantly repented of, burst from her. She looked at her
sister in great alarm, with a portentously serious countenance. “I
suppose,” she repeated, as if, instead of something ridiculous, this had
been the most solemn suggestion in the world, “that Lenny--will be the
one of us that will be important now.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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