"No. Not at all," said he. "At my death, it would have been his to
dispose of as he pleased. Up to my death, he would have had no
more claim to deal with it than you have. Look at things from my
point of view, and don't be idiotic. I am considering my debt to
Oswald, and therefore, logically, my debt to the country. It is
twenty thousand pounds. I'm going to pay it. The only question is
--and the question has kept Edith and myself awake the last two
nights--is what's the best thing to do with it? Of course I could
give it to some fund,--or several funds,--but it's a lot of money
and I should like it to be used to the best advantage. Now what do
you say?"
"I say," said I, "that you Croesuses make a half-pay Major of
Artillery's head reel. If I were like you, I should go into a shop
and buy a super-dreadnought, and stick a card on it with a
drawing pin, and send it to the Admiralty with my compliments."
"Duncan," said Lady Fenimore, severely, "don't be flippant."
Heaven knows I was in no flippant mood; but it was worth a foolish
jest to bring a smile to Sir Anthony's face. Also this grave,
conscientious proposition had its humorous side.
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