"No; but you watched and waited until you traced me here. You were not
satisfied with what I had done for you. You wanted to kill me before I
could tell Pat the truth; and if it hadn't been for that man Donovan
your assassin would have stabbed me at my door." Arthur Holbrook rose
and flung down his pipe so that the coals leaped from it. "But it's
all over now--this long exile of mine, this pursuit of Pat, this
hideous use of your daughter to pluck your chestnuts from the fire. By
God, you've got to quit--you've got to go!"
"But I want my money--I want my money!" roared Henry, as though
insisting upon a right; but Arthur ignored him, and went on.
"You were the one who was strong; and great things were expected of
you, to add to the traditions of family honor; but our name is only
mentioned with a sneer where men remember it at all. You were spoiled
and pampered; you have never from your early boyhood had a thought that
was not for yourself alone. You were always envious and jealous of
anybody that came near you, and not least of me; and when I saved you,
when I gave you your chance to become a man at last, to regain the
respect you had flung away so shamefully, you did not realize it, you
could not realize it; you took it as a matter of course, as though I
had handed you a cigar. I ask you now, here in this place, where I am
known and respected--I ask you here, where I have toiled with my hands,
whether you forget why I am here?"
Henry Holbrook tugged at his scarf nervously and his eyes wandered
about uneasily. He did not answer his brother. Arthur stood over him,
with folded arms, his back to me so that I could not see his face; but
his tone had in it the gathered passion and contempt of years. Then he
was at once himself, standing away a little, like a lawyer after a
round with a refractory witness.
"I must have my money; Patricia must make the division," replied Henry
doggedly.
"Certainly! Certainly! I devoutly hope she will give it to you; you
need fear no interference from me. The sooner you get it and fling it
away the better. Patricia has been animated by the best motives in
withholding it; she regarded it as a sacred trust to administer for
your own good, but now I want you to have your money."
"If I can have my share, if you will persuade her to give it, I will
pay you all I owe you--" Henry began eagerly.
"What you owe me--what you _owe_ me!" and Arthur bent toward his
brother and laughed--a laugh that was not good to hear. "You would
give me money--money--you would pay me _money_ for priceless things!"
He broke off suddenly, dropping his arms at his sides helplessly.
"There is no use in trying to talk to you; we use a different
vocabulary, Henry."
"But that trouble with Gillespie--if Patricia knew--"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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