(10/13) Friends at Thrush Green by Miss Read

changing my will.'
    'Changing your will?' echoed Charles, much bewildered.
    'Everything in this room is to go to St John's church in gratitude for Anthony Bull's ministrations.'
    Charles was stunned. He felt as if he had been struck with a hard and heavy object, and was conscious of his head throbbing and his heart behaving in a most unusual fashion.
    'Would you mind if I opened the window a little, Bertha?' he asked.
    'Please do. Violet is inclined to keep the windows closed.'
    Charles struggled from his chair, and heaved at the large sash window furthest from Bertha's bed. It was a relief to see the normality of Lulling outside, and the cool air revived him. He took several deep breaths and returned to his chair.
    'My dear Bertha,' he began, 'it is a most generous gesture of yours, but before you do anything about the will, please consult your sisters and tell them what is in your mind.'
    'I shall do nothing of the sort,' Bertha rapped out. She looked at him suspiciously. 'You are on their side! They've put you up to this!'
    'I'm on nobody's side,' protested poor Charles, 'and no one has "put me up", as you say, to anything.'
    'I shall tell Justin to call here,' replied Bertha. She was now very flushed and breathless. Charles knew that it was useless to try to reason with her. He had failed in his mission, and it was time to depart. It was obviously going to be impossible to go into the matter of taking things from The Fuchsia Bush at this stage.
    He got up from the chair and approached the bed. He took Bertha's hand and patted it.
    'I am sorry to have upset you, Bertha, and I'm going to leave you to rest now. But please think about my suggestion. I hope you will decide to talk to Ada and Violet.'
    'I told you—I shall certainly not consult them.'
    Charles released the hand. 'Then I beg of you,' he said earnestly, 'to consult your conscience instead.'
    And with that he left.

    Violet was fluttering about in the hall as he descended the stairs.
    'Come into the drawing-room,' she whispered.
    They sat down facing each other.
    'Well?' queried Violet.
    'Not well at all, I fear,' said Charles. 'I haven't really helped much.'
    He told her, as gently as he could, about her sister's plan to alter her will, virtually laying claim to all that was in her bedroom. However, he purposely did not tell Violet about Bertha's idea of leaving all the treasures to St John's church. There was no point in burdening her with this extra problem, and he disliked the idea of this crazy plan of Bertha's being discussed in the parish.
    'And she intends to see Justin?' gasped Violet. 'What shall we do?'
    'I should do nothing while she is safely in bed,' replied Charles. 'I gather that the only telephone is in the hall down here, and any letters will pass through your hands. If she does propose getting in touch with him, then I think you must speak to him first and explain matters. If need be, I will have a word with him whenever you give me permission.'
    'Charles! I hope it won't come to that.'
    'So do I. In any case, I am sure that Justin will know exactly what to do in this sort of situation. I seem to recall something at the beginning of a will to the effect that: "I, being of sound body and mind etc." and I'm sure it is now sadly plain that Bertha is not of sound mind at the moment.'
    'I fear not,' agreed Violet, much agitated.
    'I must go,' said Charles. 'I'll come again in a day or two to see how things are going. Get in touch at once, if you are worried, but I'm sure we can only wait and hope that she will realize how foolish she is being.'
    'Thank you, Charles, for everything. I shall take your advice.'

    As Charles returned to the vicarage he felt a great sense of failure. He also turned over in his mind Bertha's strange intention to leave everything to the church. The fact that the gift was to be a tribute to his predecessor Anthony Bull, who now had a parish in London, did not perturb or surprise him. Anthony was an old friend, and Charles