It seemed impossible, however, to speed the courts. One or two similar suits against the city on account of buildings similarly blown up to check the fire of 1835 were won by the city, and RoBards dreaded the outcome of his father-in-law’s claim. He dreaded the loss of the vast sum at stake even less than the effect of the loss on Mr. Jessamine’s sanity.
The fire had died out and its ravages were overbuilt for ten years before the case drew up to the head of the docket at last. As Mr. Jessamine grew more and more frantic, he felt less and less confident of his son-in-law’s ability to win the action. He insisted upon the hiring of additional counsel and cruelly wounded RoBards by his frank mistrust. But he could not make up his mind what lawyer to employ, and since he was out of funds, he must depend on his son-in-law to advance the fee for his own humiliation.
Patty herself was zealous for the splendor that two hundred thousand dollars would add to the establishment which she found all too plain in spite of her husband’s indulgence. And she shamed him woefully by her lack of confidence. She saw his hurt and added exquisiteness to it by constantly saying:
“Of course, I think my Mist’ RoBards is the finest lawyer in the world, but can the judges be relied on to appreciate you?”
Lying on his arm she would waken him from slumbers just begun by crooning:
“Two hundred thousand dollars! Think of it! Papa and Mamma are too old to spend it, so we should have the benefit. I’d buy you a yacht so that you could join the new club, and I’d buy myself—what wouldn’t I buy myself!”
“First catch your cash, my dear,” RoBards would mumble, and try in vain to drown himself in a pool of sleep that would not accept him, though Patty sank away to blissful depths of oblivion.
One hot July New York daybreak had just begun to annoy his unrested eyes when the fire bells broke out. He had promised himself and Patty long ago to resign from his company, but a sense of civic duty had kept him in the ranks.
Patty slept so well among her visions of wealth that she did not heed when he withdrew his arm from under her head, nor hear him getting into his uniform.