"OF HUMAN BONDAGE" - читать интересную книгу автора (Maugham W. Somerset)

undertake the care of her son. He was well over fifty, and his
wife, to whom he had been married for thirty years, was
childless; he did not look forward with any pleasure to the
presence of a small boy who might be noisy and rough. He had
never much liked his sister-in-law.

"I'm going to take you down to Blackstable tomorrow," he said.

"With Emma?"

The child put his hand in hers, and she pressed it.

"I'm afraid Emma must go away," said Mr. Carey.

"But I want Emma to come with me."

Philip began to cry, and the nurse could not help crying too.
Mr. Carey looked at them helplessly.

"I think you'd better leave me alone with Master Philip for a
moment."

"Very good, sir."

Though Philip clung to her, she released herself gently. Mr.
Carey took the boy on his knee and put his arm round him.

"You mustn't cry," he said. "You're too old to have a nurse now.
We must see about sending you to school."

"I want Emma to come with me," the child repeated.

"It costs too much money, Philip. Your father didn't leave very
much, and I don't know what's become of it. You must look at
every penny you spend."

Mr. Carey had called the day before on the family solicitor.
Philip's father was a surgeon in good practice, and his hospital
appointments suggested an established position; so that it was
a surprise on his sudden death from blood-poisoning to find that
he had left his widow little more than his life insurance and
what could be got for the lease of their house in Bruton Street.
This was six months ago; and Mrs. Carey, already in delicate
health, finding herself with child, had lost her head and
accepted for the lease the first offer that was made. She stored
her furniture, and, at a rent which the parson thought
outrageous, took a furnished house for a year, so that she might
suffer from no inconvenience till her child was born. But she
had never been used to the management of money, and was unable
to adapt her expenditure to her altered circumstances. The