The Van Deust brothers sat smoking their pipes in the twilight on the
wide porch of the old homestead overlooking the sea.
"I met Thatcher to-day when I was over at the village," said the
younger brother, Jacob, "and he wanted to put the ten acre lot in corn
on shares."
"Well," responded Peter, "I suppose he might as well have it as
anybody. Somebody will have to work it. We are getting too old, Jacob,
for ploughing and such-like hard toil ourselves, and a third will be
all we'll want. What did you tell him?"
"I didn't give him any definite answer. I wish somebody else would
offer to take the lot. I don't like that Thatcher."
"Why?"
"He is a hard, severe-looking old fellow, and I'm sure he treats that
pretty niece of his badly."
"Oh! He does, eh? And now, Jacob, what the mischief is that to you?
And what has it to do with his putting the ten-acre lot in corn on
shares?"
"I've seen her crying."
"Bah! Girls are always crying. They like it. They do it for practice."
"Peter, you'd kick a boy for throwing stones at a wild bird, wouldn't
you?"
"That's another matter. Birds are birds, and they're God's creatures;
but women are the devil's creatures, and you'll never see Peter Van
Deust trouble himself to lift his foot to a boy that throws stones at
them. If the girl don't like the treatment her uncle gives her, I
suppose she can find some fellow fool enough to marry her. 'Most any
of 'em can do that."
"Peter, you shouldn't talk that way. A poor girl has her feelings
about marrying where her liking goes, just as much as a man has."
"Yah!" snarled Peter, contemptuously, vigorously puffing his pipe, and
for some minutes both men were silent. The younger of the two sank
into a reverie, and awoke from it with a start, when his brother
resumed the conversation, saying:
"I tell you what it is, Jacob. You were spooney on Mary Wallace's
mother forty years ago, and I'm blessed if I think you have got over
it yet. She threw you overboard then, not for a better looking
man--for you were a fine, trim, sailor-built young fellow in those
days--but for a richer one. She thought--"
"No, no, Peter! No, no! Don't say that! Don't say that! She didn't
want to marry Wallace. I know she didn't. But her father and mother
compelled her to it. She loved me best, I know she did. But you are
right in saying I haven't got over it, Peter. I never shall. I'll love
her just the same still, if I meet her in heaven. And when I see
Mary's sweet young face, the love that is in my heart for her mother's
memory cries out like a voice from the grave of all my hopes and joys,
and I can hardly keep from taking poor Lottie's child in my arms and
weeping over her."
"Which, if you were to do, she would think you were crazy, and right
she would be," commented Peter, snarlingly.
"Hello!" sounded shortly, in a sharp wiry voice, from the little lane
at the back of the house.
Peter, rising from his bench and going to the end of the porch,
replied with a sailor-like "Aye, aye, sir," to the hail of the
stranger, who was none other than the little elderly gentleman already
encountered by Ruth and Mary in the woods. Without dismounting, the
visitor asked, in a slow and cautious manner,
"Am I justified in presuming that I am upon the premises of the
parties known as Peter and Jacob Van Deust?"
"This is where we live," replied Peter, a little puzzled by the
stranger's manner.
"Pardon me, sir, but your reply is not an answer to my question. Am I
to understand that you are one of the said parties?"
"I'm Peter, and this is Jacob," responded the elder brother, pointing
with the stem of his pipe at the younger. "But come alongside before
you get off any more of that lingo."
Methodically and carefully the rider dismounted, fastened his nag to
the fence, and pushing open the little gate, stepped upon the low
porch-floor, where, after an elaborate bow to each of the brothers
separately, he continued:
"Assuming your affirmation to be correct and capable of substantiation
by documentary evidence, and believing that you are, as you represent
yourselves--or, rather, as one of you has represented--Peter and Jacob
Van Deust, permit me, gentlemen, to have the pleasure of offering you
my congratulations."
So saying, he raised his tall hat with old-time courtesy, repeated his
bows to the brothers severally, and replaced his beaver with such
exactitude that not a hair of his nicely-brushed wig was disarranged.
"Congratulations upon what? Upon being Peter and Jacob Van Deust?"
demanded Peter, who began to look upon his visitor as a probably
harmless lunatic.
"Naturally, sir. For reasons which you shall presently apprehend. Have
you, or have you had, sir, to your knowledge, an uncle named Dietrich
Van Deust?"
"Yes. It was Uncle Dietrich who went away to the Indies when we were
boys, wasn't it, Peter?" said the younger brother.
"Yes, and settled somewhere there; I forget where. Batavia, I think,
was the name of the place; but I ain't sure, for it is an age since I
heard from him."
"Your remembrance is correct, nevertheless, sir," responded the
stranger. "It was in Batavia that he took up his residence, and in
Batavia that he died, at an advanced age, an old bachelor, possessed
of large wealth, as I have been given to understand; and I offer my
congratulations to you, gentlemen, for the reason that you are his
fortunate heirs to the extent of one hundred thousand dollars."
The mere mention of that stupendous sum, as it seemed to them, fairly,
stunned the two simple-minded old men who received this intelligence.
"Oh, Peter! It can't be there's so much money," gasped Jacob.
"Let me turn it over in my mind. Take a seat, sir," said Peter,
pushing forward a stool for the visitor, reseating himself on his
bench and slowly rubbing his forehead. Jacob went out to put away the
little gentleman's horse, and while he was gone Peter relighted his
pipe and smoked in silence. When the younger brother returned, the
visitor resumed the conversation.
"My name," said he, "is Pelatiah Holden, and my profession that of
counsellor-at-law. Here is my card," presenting one to each of the Van
Deusts, and then continuing: "Four months and fourteen days since, I
received from the firm of Van Gulden & Dropp, of Amsterdam, Holland,
information to the effect that a client of theirs named William Van
Deust was joint heir in the estate of Dietrich Van Deust, deceased, of
Batavia; and they desired me, in order to facilitate the partition of
the estate, to discover two other heirs, nephews of the deceased
Dietrich Van Deust, named respectively Peter and Jacob Van Deust, sons
of Jan Van Deust.
"That was father's name," interpolated Jacob in an undertone.
"As I have been already informed, sir, and do not doubt your ability
to establish by legal proof," replied Mr. Holden, bowing gravely to
him and going on with his narration. "Since that time, until three
weeks ago, I have been seeking you, and it has only been during four
days past that I have been satisfied that your claim to be the sons of
Jan Van Deust, and nephews of Dietrich--and consequently inheritors
under the will of the latter--could be legally established. Hence the
apparent delay. But you will perceive, gentlemen, from my explanation,
that I have notified you of the gratifying fact of the bequest, at the
earliest practicable and proper moment."
Peter nodded silently, not having yet completed, seemingly, the
serious task of "turning it over in his mind." But Jacob effusively
stammered:
"Oh, we were not in any hurry, sir."
The lawyer resumed, speaking with the deliberate precision of one who
reads an indictment: "Under the terms of the will, you are to enjoy
this inheritance jointly while you both live, and expend it all, if
you please, but by mutual consent. And should any of it remain at the
time of the demise of either of you, it must descend to the survivor,
untrammelled by any right of bequest on the part of the first
decedent. And no contract, bargain, agreement, stipulation, or
understanding whatever between you, concerning its disposal shall be
made, by which the one surviving may be bound, or influenced in its
administration; and to the fact that he is in no wise so bound, the
survivor must make oath when entering into sole possession, else the
sum so remaining must lapse to residuary legatees belonging to a
remote branch of your family in Holland. What your uncle's intentions
may have been in framing his will in this unusual manner, I do not
pretend to say; nor is it, indeed, my province to inquire; but the
facts are--as I know from an attested copy of the will in my
possession--as I have had the honor of presenting them to you. And
now, gentlemen, permit me to renew my congratulations and express the
hope that you may long be joint possessors of this handsome
inheritance."