As for Mr. Muirhead, he was pleased too; but him it seemed to amuse more than surprise.
“After your lessons this morning,” he said, “instead of going for a walk you can come into the city to me, and we’ll go to the lawyers’ together, and then have lunch at Birch’s.”
When they reached the lawyers’ office Alison and her father were shown into a large room with three grave gentlemen in it, whom Alison supposed were Lee, Lee and Lee; and all the time that her father was talking to them she wondered which was the Lee, and which was the second Lee, and which was “and Lee.” Then she had to sign a paper, and then one of the Lees gave her a canvas bag containing a thousand threepenny bits.
“Of course you would like to count them,” he said; and Alison replied, “Yes,” at which every one laughed, because Mr. Lee had meant it for a joke and Alison had taken it seriously. But how could she expect that Mr. Thomson’s lawyer, or, indeed, any lawyer of a dead friend, would make a joke?
“I’m afraid,” said Mr. Lee, when they had done laughing “that you would be very tired of the job before you were half-way through it. Count them when you get home, and if there is any mistake we will put it right; but one of our most careful clerks has already gone through them very thoroughly.”
Then they all shook hands, and each of the three Lees said something playful.
The one that Alison guessed was Lee said, “Don’t be extravagant and buy the moon.”
The one that Alison guessed was the second Lee said, “If at any time you get tired of so much money, we shall be pleased to have it again.”
While “and Lee” looked very solemn and said, “Now you can go to church a thousand times.”
Then they all laughed again, and Alison and her father were shown out into the street by a little sharp boy, whose eyes were fixed so keenly on the canvas bag that Alison was quite certain that he was the most careful clerk who had done the counting.