For Patty, infuriated by Eva’s scorn and Hamilton’s snubbing, had made up her malicious mind to do her worst. “Cousin Tabby, I don’t think it would be right to let that young man marry Eva in ignorance of her real character,” she observed tentatively to the spinster, who replied: “Sho’, now, I wouldn’t be so spiteful if I was you, Pat. We done the girl harm enough long ago, and we oughtn’t to cheep, even if she did run us off when we wanted to make it up with her for our own benefit. We deserved all we got, that’s a fact, though I do wish we had got an invite to the grand wedding, so that we could o’ bragged on’t when we got back home. I got a great mind now to go and ask her pappy for an invite anyhow. And as to her character, Pat, you know we never b’lieved anything agin’ her in our hearts, though we ranted and raved as we did jist to influence your gran’ther agin’ her so’s to git red o’ her fer good. My idee is to lay low an’ keep a close mouth, an’ maybe she’ll come ’round an’ take us up inter high sassiety arter a while, fer she allays was a good-hearted little creeter when her temper fits wore off.” Patty snapped acidly: “Eva’s prosperity seems to have elevated her very much in your respect.” “’Tain’t adzackly that, Pat. I allays did have respeck for her, if it comes to that. I helped to parsecute her because she was too pritty and too clust in gran’ther’s affections, so’t I was feered he would leave her all his prop’ty an’ turn us all out in the cold. But now we got what we mistreated her for, I cain’t see no sense in keepin’ up the racket. If she kin marry well, let her do it, sez I, and I only wish you an’ me had sech a chance.” Patty laughed with hateful sarcasm, answering: “No one will ever marry you, Cousin Tabby.” “While there’s life there’s hope! I hain’t but fifty-three years old yit, and folks has married older’n that. You needn’t laff so scornful, Pat; I hate that sniggerin’ way you have! Is it any wonder I want to marry an’ git settled in a home of my own when gran’ther only left me a pitiful five hundred dollars, that’s spent long ago, an’ me a-hangin’ onto you an’ Lyd for a livin’? I kin see already, with half an eye, that you want to git red a’ me, an’ air ’shamed o’ me, the woman that raised you and chappyroned you all your life,” declared Miss Tabby grumblingly. “For Heaven’s sake, quit lecturing me! It’s hard to have to support you, and be laughed at for having such a countrified relation, without taking your jaw, I can tell you. That’s more than I will bear!” Patty retorted coarsely, in a passion. Miss Ruttencutter sniffed and hid her long red nose in her embroidered handkerchief without daring to reply, lest Patty turn her adrift without ceremony, as she had helped to turn Eva adrift on the cold, hard world. This was not the first quarrel they had had, and the spinster began to read with startled eyes the handwriting on the wall.