and then at last Hiram came stumbling out from the hedge. His face had never looked before as it looked then.
IX
Hiram was standing in front of the fire with his hands clasped behind his back. He had not touched the supper on the table. Levi was eating with an appetite. Suddenly he looked over his plate at his stepbrother.
“How about that five hundred pounds, Hiram?” said he. “I gave ye a month to raise it and the month ain’t quite up yet, but I’m goin’ to leave this here place day after to-morrow—by next day at the furd’st—and I want the money that’s mine.”
“I paid it to Squire Hall to-day and he has it fer ye,” said Hiram, dully.
Levi laid down his knife and fork with a clatter. “Squire Hall!” said he, “what’s Squire Hall got to do with it? Squire Hall didn’t have the use of that money. It was you had it and you have got to pay it back to me, and if you don’t do it, by G——, I’ll have the law on you, sure as you’re born.”
“Squire Hall’s trustee—I ain’t your trustee,” said Hiram, in the same dull voice.
“I don’t know nothing about trustees,” said Levi, “or anything about lawyer business, either. What I want to know is, are you going to pay me my money or no?”
“No,” said Hiram, “I ain’t—Squire Hall’ll pay ye; you go to him.”
Levi West’s face grew purple red. He pushed back, his chair grating harshly. “You—bloody land pirate!” he said, grinding his teeth together. “I see through your tricks. You’re up to cheating me out of my money. You know very well that Squire Hall is down on me, hard and bitter—writin’ his —— reports to Philadelphia and doing all he can to stir up everybody agin me and to bring
