Had he known of it he would not have lost an hour in seeking their presence and commanding their silence by the power he held to enforce it. He had never even told his daughter of the mortgage he had held on Grandfather Groves’ property so many years, generously deciding to let the impecunious descendants have the benefit of the increased value of the land.
So it was only by his generosity that they were enabled to live in luxury and cut such a dash in the world that, were the uncertain oil wells to fail to-morrow they would be relegated to utter poverty, owing to their constant extravagance.
With the knowledge of the mortgage and the threat of foreclosing it, Patty would have been glad enough to hold her tongue.
But Eva, ignorant of her father’s power, and underrating her cousin’s malignity, held her peace, and the sword of fate remained suspended over her head, ready to fall at the opportune moment.
For Patty, infuriated by Eva’s scorn and Hamilton’s snubbing, had made up her malicious mind to do her worst.
“Cousin Tabby, I don’t think it would be right to let that young man marry Eva in ignorance of her real character,” she observed tentatively to the spinster, who replied:
“Sho’, now, I wouldn’t be so spiteful if I was you, Pat. We done the girl harm enough long ago, and we oughtn’t to cheep, even if she did run us off when we wanted to make it up with her for our own benefit. We deserved all we got, that’s a fact, though I do wish we had got an invite to the grand wedding, so that we could o’ bragged on’t when we got back home. I got a great mind now to go and ask her pappy for an invite anyhow. And as to her character, Pat, you know we never b’lieved anything agin’ her in our hearts, though we ranted and raved as we did jist to influence your gran’ther agin’ her so’s to git red o’ her fer good. My idee is to lay low an’ keep a close mouth, an’ maybe she’ll come ’round an’ take us up inter high sassiety arter a while, fer she allays was a good-hearted little creeter when her temper fits wore off.”
Patty snapped acidly:
“Eva’s prosperity seems to have elevated her very much in your respect.”
“’Tain’t adzackly that, Pat. I allays did have respeck for her, if it comes to that. I helped to parsecute her because she was too pritty and too clust in gran’ther’s affections, so’t I was feered he would leave her all his prop’ty an’ turn us all out in the cold. But now we got what we mistreated her for, I cain’t see no sense in keepin’ up the racket. If she kin marry well, let her do it, sez I, and I only wish you an’ me had sech a chance.”