Mr. Cooley looked aggrieved.
"Ricaby," he said, "that insinuation is not in keeping with the friendly purpose of this meeting. My client is special administrator--an appointee of the Court--and we are acting under the law----"
"The law!" exclaimed Mr. Ricaby scornfully. "That"s the d.a.m.nable part of it! You"re acting under a law that compels a widow or orphan to spend thousands of dollars on litigation in order to obtain what is theirs by right."
Mr. Cooley shrugged his shoulders.
"The law is all right."
"Then it"s dishonest interpretation that"s at fault," retorted the other hotly. "Something is rotten somewhere when the courts can be used to legally deprive this girl of her inheritance."
Mr. Cooley rolled his eyes and remained unperturbed. Suavely, glibly, he said:
"You"re repeating yourself, brother Ricaby. So you told the judge, and it didn"t do your case a particle of good. That"s a sign of weakness.
But come, I promised myself not to allow anything to interrupt the peaceful, harmonious flow of events." With an effort at flowery rhetoric, he went on pompously: "Let us bury the legal axe, let"s bring flesh and blood together, that they may be reunited over the grave of a buried family feud. Let us bring our clients together on terms of peace.
It"s a sacred duty we owe our profession, Mr. Ricaby, a duty that exalts our profession over all other callings. The ministry may make peace for man in Heaven, but we are peacemakers here on earth."
"Quite true--quite true," chirped Jimmy from the far corner of the room.
Mr. Ricaby shrugged his shoulders.
"No wonder they call you the silver-lipped orator," he muttered contemptuously.
There was a knock at the door, and Mr. Ricaby went forward to see who it was. Speaking to someone in the hall outside, he said:
"My clerk? Oh, yes, ask him to come up. No--I"ll go down." Turning to the others, he asked:
"Will you excuse me for a moment?"
"Certainly," said Mr. Cooley, "and, while I think of it, do your best to persuade Miss Paula that we are really acting for her best interests.
She is alone in the world. Her uncle will take her into his own family, welcome her as his own child."
Mr. Ricaby, with an impatient shrug of his shoulders, went out without waiting to listen to any more. Mr. Cooley, who had not noticed the attorney"s departure, went on:
"Can"t you see the picture, Ricaby? Uncle--niece--bosom of family--happy home--cousins--smiling faces--all radiant with newly found happiness?"
Suddenly he noticed that Ricaby was no longer there. Turning to Jimmy, he exclaimed, in a changed tone of voice:
"You know that fellow is the d.a.m.ndest bore I was ever up against! His arguments to the judge were puerile--positively puerile! That one about the ethical aspect was a bird. You know it"s all I can do to keep my temper with that brand of pract.i.tioner."
Jimmy nodded approval.
"You"ve been remarkably patient--remarkably," he said.
Mr. Cooley"s face broke into a self-satisfied smile.
"Those fellows theorize and theorize by the yard. I"ve sat on the bench and listened to their cackle till I got so hot under the collar I"d like to jump down and bang "em over the head with their own law books. They quote authorities by the stack and hand you all the old-time stuff from old Roman and British digest down to last year"s decision. Those fellows forget that Henry Clay and Daniel Webster oratory is out of date.
Marsh--while I think of it--don"t make too much show of affection to the girl--not too much "Uncle" business at the start, she may not take to it kindly."
"Of course, of course," said Jimmy impatiently. "I"m not exactly a fool."
"Not exactly--no--but sometimes perilously near," retorted Cooley dryly.
"My dear Cooley----"
"Now, my dear James, you must really be guided by me----"
"But there are limits," said the other.
"Quite so," acquiesced the lawyer, "and I apologize for not observing them, but I really can"t allow you to lose control of your brother John"s fortune without at least making the effort to guide you properly."
"No, of course not," muttered his vis-a-vis. "G.o.d knows how I should ever pay your fees if I did----"
The lawyer opened wide his eyes as if he did not quite comprehend.
"Pay my fees? Why, my dear Marsh, I don"t want to be paid fees----"
"No?"
"You don"t suppose I"m working for mere fees, do you? I"ll tell you what I"m after when we get control of the estate."
"We?" echoed Jimmy interrogatively.
"_Oui--oui_"--snapped Cooley. "That"s French for "yes." Do you imagine that Bascom Cooley intends to desert you after the battle is won?
No--no--he will help you handle your victory."
"Quite so--quite so," nodded Jimmy vacuously, "but at the same time----"
"There is no same time," snapped Mr. Cooley; "you take your _tempo_ from me." Holding up his hand he demonstrated with his fingers: "Move number 1--give her a regular allowance and regulate all expenditure. Move number 2--turn all her father"s investments into cash. Move number 3--reinvest the cash, so that we can handle the profits."
"But suppose she--she refuses?" demanded the other.
"She won"t. She daren"t. If she does"-- He hesitated as if unwilling to give expression to his secret thoughts, even to Jimmy--"we"ll put her where she can"t refuse."
"Put her where she can"t refuse?" echoed his client, puzzled. "I don"t understand."
The lawyer put his finger warningly to his lips.
"Hush!" he whispered, "I"ve got it all planned out. There isn"t one chance in a thousand for us to miss fire, but you must follow--not lead.
Bascom Cooley has never lost a case. He can"t lose a case. Why, Marsh, I"ll take either side of this case and win."
"What colossal confidence!" cried Jimmy admiringly.
Mr. Cooley looked around as if to make sure that there were no eavesdroppers. His manner became very serious and determined.
"That"s the whole secret, Jimmy," he said. "Believe in yourself and that flock of sheep we call the world will follow you. The power to be is only the power to will. Whatever I will--happens, and that is a very valuable political a.s.set. Why, I can take a rank outsider at a crowded caucus--over the heads of all the regular nominees--nominate him and jam him through to the front. I"ve done it--they can"t resist me. When I say "yes," by G.o.d! it"s yes! It"s got to be "yes." Your claim wasn"t worth a b.u.t.ton when you first came to me. Well, what do you think of your chances now? You wouldn"t take ninety cents on the dollar for it, would you? Well, I guess not!"
The door opened and Mr. Ricaby reappeared with a bag in his hand. He seemed surprised to see the two men still alone. Looking around, he exclaimed: