"One," answered Pardee.
"Only one?" said she. "I declare. Hesden, the Richards family is not numerous if it is strong."
"Why do you say "strong," mother?"
"Oh, codfish and Radicals, you know!"
"Now, mother--"
"Oh, if you hate to hear about it, why don"t you quit the dirty crowd and be a gentleman again. Or is it your new-found cousin you feel so bad for? By the way, Captain, is it a boy or girl, and is it old or young?"
"It is a lady, madam, some twenty years of age or thereabout."
"A lady? Well, I suppose that is what they call them there. Married or single?"
"Single."
"What a pity you are getting so old, Hesden! You might make a match and settle her claim in that way. Though I don"t suppose she has any in law."
"On the contrary, madam," said Pardee, "her t.i.tle is perfect. She can recover not only this plantation but every rood of the original tract."
"You don"t say!" exclaimed the invalid. "It would make her one of the richest women in the State!"
"Undoubtedly."
"Oh, it cannot be, Captain Pardee!" exclaimed Miss Hetty. "It cannot be!"
"There can be no doubt about it," said Pardee. "She is the great-grand-daughter of "Red Jim," and his only lineal descendant.
His daughter Alice, to whom this is bequeathed, married before arriving at the age of eighteen, and died in wedlock, leaving an only daughter, who also married before she became of age, and also died in wedlock, leaving a son and daughter surviving. The son died without heirs of his body, and only the daughter is left. There has never been an hour when the action of the statute was not barred."
"Have you seen her?" asked Mrs. Le Moyne.
"Yes."
"Does she know her good luck?"
"She is fully informed of her rights."
"Indeed? You told her, I suppose?"
"I found her already aware of them."
"Why, how could that be?"
"I am sure I do not know," said Pardee, glancing sharply at Hesden.
"What," said Hesden, with a start; "what did you say is the name of the heir?"
"I did not say," said Pardee coolly. Hesden sprang to his feet, and going across the room stood gazing out of the window.
"Why don"t you tell us the name of the heir, Captain? You must know we are dying to hear all about our new cousin," said Mrs. Le Moyne bitterly. "Is she long or short, fat or lean, dark or fair?
Do tell us all about her?"
"In appearance, madam," said Pardee carelessly, "I should say she much resembled yourself at her age."
"Oh, Captain, you flatter me, I"m sure," she answered, with just a hint of a sneer. "Well, what is her name, and when does she wish to take possession?"
"Her name, madam, you must excuse me if I withhold for the present.
I am the bearer of a proposition of compromise from her, which, if accepted, will, I hope, avoid all trouble. If not accepted, I shall find myself under the necessity of asking to be relieved from further responsibility in this matter."
"Come here, Hesden," said his mother, "and hear what terms your new cousin wants for Mulberry Hill. I hope we won"t have to move out till spring. It would be mighty bad to be out of doors all winter. Go on, Captain Pardee, Hesden is ready now. This is what comes of your silly idea about doing justice to some low-down Yankee.
It"s a pity you hadn"t sense enough to burn the will up. It would have been better all round. The wealth will turn the girl"s head, and the loss of my home will kill me," she continued fiercely to her son.
"As to the young lady, you need have no fear," said Pardee. "She is not one of the kind that lose their heads.
"Ah, you seem to be quite an admirer of her?"
"I am, madam."
"If we do not accept her proposal, you will no doubt become her attorney?"
"I am such already."
"You don"t say so? Well, you are making good speed. I should think you might have waited till you had dropped us before picking her up. But then, it will be a good thing to be the attorney of such an heiress, and we shall be poor indeed after she gets her own--as you say it is."
"Madam," said Pardee seriously, "I shall expect you to apologize both to me and to my client when you have heard her proposition."
"I shall be very likely to, Mr. Pardee," she said, with a dry laugh. "I come of an apologetic race. Old Jim Richards was full of apologies. He liked to have died of them, numberless times. But what is your proposal?"
"As I said," remarked Pardee, "my client--I beg pardon--the great-grand-daughter of "Red Jim" Richards, instructs me to say that she does not desire to stain her family name or injure your feelings by exposing the fraud of your ancestor, "Black Jim" Richards.
"What, sir!" said Mrs. Le Moyne sharply. "Fraud! You had better measure your words, sir, when you speak of my father. Do you hear that, Hesden? Have you lost all spirit since you became a Radical?"
she continued, while her eyes flashed angrily.
"I am sorry to say that I do not see what milder term could be used," said Hesden calmly. "Go on with your proposition, sir."
"Well, as I said," continued the lawyer, "this young lady, desiring to save the family name and your feelings from the shock of exposure, has instructed me to say: First, that she does not wish to disturb any of those rights which have been obtained by purchase from your ancestor; and second, that she understands that there is a dispute in regard to the t.i.tle of a portion of it--the tract generally known as Red Wing--neither of the parties claiming which have any t.i.tle as against her. She understands that the t.i.tle held by Winburn is technically good against that of the colored man, Nimbus Desmit, providing hers is not set up.
"Now she proposes that if you will satisfy Winburn and obtain a quit-claim from him to Desmit, she will make a deed in fee to Mrs.
Le Moyne of the whole tract; and as you hold by inheritance from one who purported to convey the fee, the t.i.tle will thereafter be estopped, and all rights held under the deeds of "Black Jim" Richards will be confirmed."
"Well, what else?" asked Mrs. Le Moyne breathlessly, as he paused.
"There is nothing more."
"Nothing more! Why, does the girl propose to give away all this magnificent property for nothing?" she asked in astonishment.
"Absolutely nothing to her own comfort or advantage," answered the attorney.