Thankful, who had been so far a perplexed and troubled listener, answered.
"Why, yes," she admitted. "He was here today and he give me to understand that he wanted this property of mine and was goin" to have it. If I wouldn"t agree to sell it to him now then he"d drive me into sellin" later on. That"s about what he said."
Captain Obed struck his fists together.
"The swab!" he exclaimed. "Well, if that don"t beat all my goin" to sea!
Humph! I"d like to know how he cal"lates to do it."
"Anything more, Daniels?" inquired John.
"Yes, there is something more. What we want to know from you, Kendrick, is whether or not you, as his legal adviser, propose to help him in this scheme of his. That is what we wish to know."
"We? What we? Has Mrs. Barnes--or Miss Howes--have they engaged you as their attorney, Daniels?"
Before Daniels could reply Emily asked a question.
"Did he--has he asked you to help him?" she demanded. "Has he?"
John smiled. "I doubt if it could be called asking," he observed. "He gave me orders to that effect shortly after he left here."
Emily gasped. Thankful and Captain Obed said, "Oh!" in concert. Heman Daniels smiled triumphantly.
"You see, Miss Howes?" he said.
"One moment, Daniels," broke in Kendrick, sharply. "You haven"t answered my question yet. Just where do you come in on this?"
"I--I--" began Daniels, but once more Emily interrupted.
"Are you--" she cried. "Tell me; are you going to help that man force my cousin into giving up her home?"
Again John smiled. "Well, to be frank," he said, "since it IS her home and she doesn"t wish to sell it I can"t for the life of me see how she can be forced into selling, with or without my valuable aid. Miss Howes, I--"
"Stop! You persist in treating this affair as a joke. It is NOT a joke--to my cousin, or to me. Did you tell that man you would help him?"
"No."
"I knew it! I was certain of it! Of course you didn"t!"
"Pardon me, Miss Howes," put in Daniels. "We have not heard all yet.
Kendrick, do I understand that you told your cousin and--er--benefactor that you would NOT help him in his infamous scheme?"
John"s patience was nearing its limits. He smiled no more.
"I don"t know what you understand, Daniels," he said, crisply. "Your understanding in many matters is beyond me."
"But did you say you would not help him?" persisted Emily.
"Why no, not exactly. He did not wait to hear what I had to say. He seemed to take my a.s.sistance for granted."
Daniels laughed scornfully.
"You see, Miss Howes?" he said again. Then, turning to Thankful: "Mrs.
Barnes, I met Mr. Holliday Kendrick on the street just after he had come from the interview with his--er--attorney. He told me that he intended to force you into giving up your property to him and he told me also that his cousin here had the case in his hands and would work to carry it through. There seemed to be no doubt in his mind that this gentleman," indicating John, "had accepted the responsibility. In fact he said he had."
Captain Obed snorted. "That"s plaguy nonsense!" he declared. "I know better. John ain"t that kind of feller. You wouldn"t help anybody to turn a woman out of her house and home, would you, John? Course you wouldn"t. The swab! Just "cause he"s got money he cal"lates he can run everything. Well, he can"t."
"Goodness knows I hope he can"t!" moaned Thankful.
"And in the meantime we are waiting to hear what his lawyer has to say,"
observed Heman.
John stepped forward. "Daniels," he said, "it strikes me that your "we"s" are a bit frequent. Why are you interfering in this affair?"
Mr. Daniels drew himself up. "I am not interfering," he replied. "My interest is purely that of a friend. AS a friend I told Miss Howes what your cousin said to me. She seemed to doubt my word. In justice to myself I propose to prove that I have spoken the truth, that is all. So far I think I may say that I have proved it. Now I demand to know what you intend doing. Are you for Mrs. Barnes or against her?"
"So you demand that, do you?"
"I do. Will you answer?"
"No."
"Ah ha! I thought not."
"I"ll answer no demands from you. Why should I? If Mrs. Barnes or Miss Howes asks me I will answer, of course."
"Mr. Kendrick--" began Thankful. Emily interrupted.
"Wait, Auntie," she said. "He must answer me first. Mr. Kendrick, when that man came to you with his "orders," as you call them, you must have had some opportunity to speak. Why didn"t you refuse at once?"
For the first time John hesitated. "Well," he said, slowly, "for one reason I was taken completely by surprise."
"So was Aunt Thankful, when he came to her. But she refused."
"And, for another, there were certain circ.u.mstances which made it hard to refuse point-blank. In a way, I suppose Mr. Kendrick was justified in a.s.suming that I would work for his interests. I accepted his retaining fee. You remember that I hesitated before doing so, but--but I did accept, and I have acted as his attorney since. I--"
"Stop! I did not ask for excuses. I ask you, as Mr. Daniels asked, are you for my cousin or against her?"
"And I ask you what is Mr. Daniels" warrant for asking me anything?"
"Answer my question! Will you fight for my cousin"s rights, or have you sold yourself to--to this benefactor of yours?"
John flushed at the repet.i.tion of the word.
"I have tried to give value received for whatever benefactions have come my way," he said, coldly. "This matter may be different; in a way it is. But not as Mr. Holliday Kendrick sees it. When a lawyer accepts a retaining fee--not for one case but for all cases which his client may give him--he is, by the ethics of his profession, honor bound to--"
"Honor!" scornfully. "Suppose we omit the "honor"."
"That is not easy to do. I AM my cousin"s attorney. But, as Mrs. Barnes"
friend and yours, I--"