Part 4 (1/2)
”You heard what I said,” she answered.
The old man leaned farther forward.
”So!” he cried; ”so! I am not only doing you an injustice, but I am a thief! Mr. Winthrop,” he cried appealingly, ”do you appreciate the seriousness of this?”
Winthrop nodded cheerfully. ”It's certainly pretty serious,” he a.s.sented.
”It is so serious,” cried Mr. Hallowell, ”that I welcome you into this matter. Now, we will settle it once and forever.” He turned to his niece. ”I have tried to be generous,” he cried; ”I have tried to be kind, and you insult me in my own house.” He pressed the b.u.t.ton that summoned the butler from the floor below. ”Gentlemen, this interview is at an end. From now on this matter is in the hands of my lawyer. We will settle this in the courts.”
With an exclamation of pleasure that was an acceptance of his challenge, Miss Coates rose.
”That is satisfactory to me,” she said. Winthrop turned to Mr.
Hallowell.
”Could I have a few minutes talk with Judge Gaylor now?” he asked. ”Not as anybody's counsel,” he explained; ”just as an old enemy of his?”
”Well, not here,” protested the old man querulously. ”I'm--I'm expecting some friends here. Judge, take Mr. Winthrop to the drawing room downstairs.” He turned to Garrett, who had appeared in answer to his summons, and told him to bring Dr. Rainey to the library. The butler left the room and, as Gaylor and Winthrop followed, the latter asked Miss Coates if he might expect to see her at the ”Office.” She told him that she was now on her way there. Without acknowledging the presence of her uncle, she had started to follow the others, when Mr. Hallowell stopped her.
After they were alone, for a moment he sat staring at her, his eyes filled with dislike and with a suggestion of childish spite. ”I might as well tell you,” he began, ”that after what you said this morning, I will never give you a single dollar of my money.”
The tone in which his niece replied to him was no more conciliatory than his own. ”You cannot give it to me,” she answered, ”because it is not yours to give.” As though to add impressiveness to what she was about to say, or to prevent his interrupting her, she raised her hand. So interested in each other were the old man and the girl that neither noticed the appearance in the door of Dr. Rainey and the butler, who halted, hesitating, waiting permission to enter.
”That money belongs to me,” said Miss Coates slowly, ”and as sure as my mother is in Heaven and her spirit is guiding me, that money will be given me.”
In the pause that followed, a swift and singular change came over the face of Mr. Hallowell. He stared at his niece as though fascinated.
His lower lip dropped in awe. The look of hostility gave way to one of intense interest. His voice was hardly louder than a whisper.
”What do you mean?” he demanded.
The girl looked at him, uncomprehending. ”What do I mean?” she repeated.
”When you said,” he stammered eagerly, ”that the spirit of your mother was guiding you, what did you mean?”
In the doorway, Rainey and the butler started. Each threw the other a quick glance of concern.
”Why,” exclaimed the girl impatiently, ”her influence, her example, what she taught me.”
”Oh!” exclaimed the old man. He leaned back with an air almost of disappointment.
”When she was alive?” he said.
”Of course,” answered the girl.
”Of course,” repeated the uncle. ”I thought you meant--” He looked suspiciously at her and shook his head. ”Never mind,” he added. ”Well,”
he went on cynically, striving to cover up the embarra.s.sment of the moment, ”your mother's spirit will probably feel as deep an interest in her brother as in her daughter. We shall see, we shall see which of us two she is going to help.” He turned to Garrett and Rainey in the hall.
”Take my niece to the door, Garrett,” he directed.
As soon as Miss Coates had disappeared, Hallowell turned to Rainey, his face lit with pleased and childish antic.i.p.ation.