A Town like Alice

apologize for him, Mr Strachan. Go on."
    "At first, he was quite unwilling that you should inherit the capital of the estate till you were forty years old," I said. "I contested that view, but I was unable to get him to agree to any less period than the present arrangement in the will. Now, the object of a trust is this: The testator appoints trustees-in this case, myself and my partner-who undertake to do their best to preserve the capital intact and hand it over to the legatee-to you-when the trust expires."
    "I see. Uncle Douglas was afraid that I might spend the fifty-three thousand all at once."
    I nodded. "That was in his mind. He did not know you, of course, Miss Paget, so there was nothing personal about it. He felt that in general women were less fit than men to handle large sums of money at an early age."
    She said quietly, "He may have been right." She thought for a minute, and then she said, "So you're going to look after the money for me till I'm thirty-five and give me the interest to spend in the meantime? Nine hundred a year?"
    "If you wish us to conduct your income-tax affairs for you, that would be about the figure," I said. "We can arrange the payments in any way that you prefer, as a quarterly or a monthly cheque, for example. You would get a formal statement of account half-yearly."
    She asked curiously, "How do you get paid for doing all this for me, Mr Strachan?"
    I smiled. "That is a very prudent question, Miss Paget. You will find a clause in the will, No 8, I think, which entitles us to charge for our professional services against the income from the trust. Of course, if you get into any legal trouble we should be glad to act for you and help you in any way we could. In that case we should charge you on the normal scale of fees."
    She said unexpectedly, "I couldn't ask for anybody better." And then she glanced at me, and said mischievously, "I made some enquiries about this firm yesterday."
    "Oh… I hope they were satisfactory?"
    "Very." She did not tell me then what she told me later, that her informant had described us as, 'as solid as the Bank of England, and as sticky as treacle'. "I know I'm going to be in very good hands, Mr Strachan."
    I inclined my head. "I hope so. I am afraid that at times you may find this trust irksome, Miss Paget; I can assure you that I shall do my utmost to prevent it from becoming so. You will see in the will that the testator gave certain powers to the trustees to realize capital for the benefit of the legatee in cases where they were satisfied that it would be genuinely for her advantage."
    "You mean, if I really needed a lot of money-for an operation or something-you could let me have it, if you approved?"
    She was quick, that girl. "I think that is a very good example. In case of illness, if the income were insufficient, I should certainly realize some of your capital for your benefit."
    She smiled at me, and said, "It's rather like being a ward in Chancery, or something."
    I was a little touched by the comparison. I said, "I should feel very much honoured if you care to look at it that way, Miss Paget. Inevitably this legacy is going to make an upset in your condition of life, and if I can do anything to help you in the transition I should be only too pleased." I handed her her copy of the will. "Well, there is the will, and I suggest you take it away and read it quietly by yourself. I'll keep the certificates for the time being. After you've thought things over for a day or two I am sure that there will be a great many questions to which you will want answers. Would you like to come and see me again?"
    She said, "I would. I know there'll be all sorts of things I want to ask about, but I can't think of them now. It's all so sudden."
    I turned to my engagement diary. "Well, suppose we meet again about the middle of next week." I stared at the pages. "Of course, you're working. What time do you get off from your office, Miss Paget?"
    She said, "Five o'clock."
    "Would six o'clock on Wednesday evening suit you, then? I shall hope to have got somewhere with the matter of your brother by that time."
    She said, "Well, that's all right for me, Mr Strachan, but isn't it a bit late for you? Don't you want to get home?"
    I said absently, "I only go to the club. No, Wednesday at six would suit me very well." I made a note upon my pad, and then I hesitated. "Perhaps if you are doing nothing after that you might like to come on to the club and have dinner in the