You've got no title. This
is Uncle Dan's will and she's been mine for eleven years." On the stair
close by them she began to step up backward but stopped to add to the
Californian: "Take back your money and come trade with mom-a."
The twins showed instant conviction, but to them all dispossession was
robbery and Lucian broke out, first on Ramsey, "We don't give back one
dime!" then to the Californian, "You pushed it on us and we'll keep it!"
then to Julian, "He hasn't the faintest right to it now in law, morals,
or custom!" and then back to the Californian: "You sha'n't ever see a
copper of it!"
Ramsey was quick-witted again. She threw the gold hunter a glance which
conveyed to him the realization that to leave the money with the twins
was to put them at a hopeless disadvantage. Almost as quickly Lucian saw
the same thing and flashed it to Julian; but in that brief interval
their sister disappeared on the deck above, old Joy following, and while
the brothers lost another moment in a motionless contest of impulses the
Californian vanished after her. Lucian, with his breath drawn to call up
the empty stair, started forward but struck his knee-cap on a light,
gilded chair left there by some child. Burning with rage and trembling
with nervous exhaustion, he barely saved himself from lunging into two
men of slight stature who had just come from a neighboring state-room: a
slender old man leaning feebly on a thick-set youth, whom one flash of
his eye identified as the commodore and Hugh, though as they passed
toward the stair they betrayed no sign that they had observed him.
Pages:
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393