He paused for her to speak, to exclaim perhaps at his magnanimity in offering to help her against her will, but she shrouded herself pettishly in her cloak.
“Oh, you don’t care, eh?” he asked with a bitter laugh. “Well, I wish to God, then, I didn’t. But I do, Virginia! I can’t stand it to see you slaving when there’s anything in the world that I can do. Now here’s the proposition: according to law your father isn’t legally dead–he won’t be for seven years–and so your mother, not being his heir yet, had no right to hypothecate that stock. It still belongs to your father’s estate and all you have to do is to go to a lawyer and demand 202the property back. You’re his daughter, you see, and a co-heir with your mother, and Blount will not dare to oppose it!”
“Yes, thanks,” returned Virginia. “Is that all?”
“Why–no!” he said at last, clutching his hands at his side. “There’s–I’ll lend you the money, Virginia.”
“No, thank you!” she answered, and started off down the trail, but he stepped in her way and stopped her. His mood had changed, for his voice was rough and threatening, but he struggled to keep it down.
“Is that all?” he demanded and without waiting for the answer he reached out and caught her by the arm. “Virginia,” he said, “I’ve tried to be good to you, but maybe you don’t appreciate it. And maybe I’ve made a mistake. There’s something about you when I’m around that reminds me of a man with a grouch–only a man would speak out his mind. Now I’ve given you a chance to clean up twenty thousand dollars and I expect something more than: ‘No, thanks!’”
“Well, what doyou expect?” she asked, struggling feebly against his grasp.
“I expect,” he answered, “that you’ll state your grievance and tell me why you won’t have me?”
“And if I do, will you let me go?”
“When I get good and ready,” he responded grimly. “I don’t know whether I’m in love with you or not.”