“I fear I don't. But I thank you for your wish to serve me.”
“It was for him as well as you, Steve. You been everything to him. Now he's got only me, and we'll doze over our wine night after night as we did before you came—well, I'm sorry there's nothing I can do, but I suppose you know best. Well, I hope it will work out right, for I've set my heart on your getting his money one of these days. I don't want to see it go to some damn charity!”
Wade had told Virginia that their first step would be to offer Benson the five thousand dollars he had paid for the land. She had not understood that she would have to make this demand in person, but later Wade made this point clear to her.
“Of course it's not a thing one would care to do if one were going to pick out just the things they'd like to do,” said Wade, smiling into her face. “But we'll catch him at his office when only old Gibbs and the bookkeeper are there; they'll do very well as witnesses,” he explained.
“And I must go there—but not alone!”
“No, no, I'll go with you.”
Virginia looked at him doubtingly.
“It never occurred to me that I should have to do this, Mr. Wade,” she said.
“I don't expect the law is ever very pleasant to any one except the lawyers, but I should think this would be a rather more difficult occasion for Mr. Benson than for any one else.”
“Does Stephen know what I shall have to do?”