Alice Muriel Williamson

“ How Miss Minns, the governess, had not screamed or howled, but had had a palpitation at sight of Flops’ danger, and considered the Man in the Moon a very brave and courteous gentleman.
“Nonsense, he can’t be a gentleman,” said Mrs. Greatorex, “or he couldn’t possibly think of living in that ramshackle old thing, and especially at this season of the year. Who ever heard of a sane human being taking even the best of house boats in November? He must be mad, or an escaped convict.”
“Rather a conspicuous abode for an escaped convict,” commented Gwen. “What is the Man in the Moon like, Cissy?” ”

“ A very rich old man had died lately in California. He was a cousin of Mrs. Greatorex’s, and that would have been hopeful, as he had no nearer living relations than she; but, unfortunately, he had others no more distant, living in the neighborhood of Rookham, where Mrs. Greatorex lived; and, still more unfortunately, the rich old man—whose name was also Greatorex—had made a will leaving every penny of his immense fortune to a man who was no relation to him at all. ”

“ But Gwen—the big girl—laughed kindly, and held out her hand to the little girl.
“Have you only just found out that there’s a Man in the Moon?” she asked. “He’s always been there and always will be, I suppose—unless he eats up all the green cheese.”
“But I mean the real Moon—the Moon on the river,” explained Cissy. “You know, that poor old, shabby white house boat named the Moon, that has been ‘To Let or For Sale’ for so long. Somebody’s taken it. There’s a man there, and he was good to me. ”

“ If he was not precisely handsome, he had one of the nicest faces which Gwen had ever seen; better than if he were a “beauty man,” she thought. He was dark, with a strong mouth and chin and wistful gray eyes. Though he had not the air of an invalid, he was certainly thin, and rather pale; lonely looking, too, as he walked slowly along the towing path, with his hands in the pockets of his shabby but well-cut coat.
“He is a gentleman,” she said to herself, as Cissy whispered excitedly: “There’s the Moon Man;” ”

“ Hammond, looking very grave now, turned to Gwen.
“It’s Christmas,” he said, “and I don’t want to be harsh to anybody, so I won’t criticise the conduct of the others. I will only put it in this way. You, Miss Greatorex, seem to me the only one among Samuel Greatorex’s relations who will use his money as we think it ought to be used—in making those around you happier. You are neither a snob nor a hypocrite. You are a good and true girl, and my son and I wish you joy of the great future which will be yours ”

“ Poor fellow, he’s too likely to do that in any case, living in that poky, damp old Moon. He ought not to do it.”
“There is no reason why a house boat, even though old, should be damp, simply because it rests on the water,” said Mrs. Greatorex, coldly. This was an opinion formed hastily, though firmly, to suit the circumstances; for she did not intend to indulge the vicar by being “nice” to the Man in the Moon, and she did not wish to be made constantly uncomfortable through having him pitied by her daughter. ”

“ Mr. Greatorex had in those days planned to come home to England and pay visits among his relatives, whom he had never seen, decide which ones were best fitted to administer a fortune, and leave the bulk of it accordingly, each member of the family receiving at least some small legacy.
Now, Dr. John Hampton’s plan was to do what Samuel Greatorex had once intended. He would come to England, would acquaint himself with Mr. Greatorex’s relatives, and dispose of the money among them as seemed good to him after forming his impressions. ”

“ This would naturally have settled matters forever, as far as the expectations of Samuel Greatorex’s cousins were concerned, if it had not been for the magnificent eccentricities of the person who had come into the money. He was a doctor whose skill had kept the old man alive for several years longer than he had dared hope to live, and when death had finally occurred, in California, the heir of the million or two had written to the relatives. ”

“ Each family felt a prior claim to the good Dr. Hampton, and each family went to the expense of a cablegram, quite a long and intricate cablegram, explaining that claim and urging it. A day or two later an answer came back from New York by wire to each. Dr. Hampton had decided in favor of Sir James Pelham, socially the most important of the little band of relatives, and he was sailing at once. He named the ship, the date of his landing, and suggested that the Norwoods and the Greatorexes should be invited to meet him at dinner on the night of his arrival. ”

“ He’s a doctor, too. In fact, he was poor Greatorex’s doctor. It’s years since I retired on my laurels. You see, it was to him the money was left, and we’ve been, as one may say, working this job together. He depended on me to help him ”