“Never! It will cause him to lose his mind,” said Hepzibah, novv almost in tears. “And why should you want to see this poor, broken old man. His mind is not clear he can do nothing for you.”

 

“Listen, Miss Hepzibah,” said Judge Pyncheon coldly. “I will explain to you clearly my reasons for wanting to talk with Clifford. At the death, thirty years ago, of our Uncle Jaffrey, it was found that he lef t much less money than was expected. He was supposed to be very rich. No one doubted that he was one of the richest men of his day. Yet he was a strange man. He often invested his money under other names particularly in businesses in other countries. By his last will ali his money and everything he owned passed to me. You were given a life in-terest in this old family home.”

 

“And now you want to take this away from me,” said Hep--zibah. “Is that how you vvish to be paid for helping Clifford?” “Certainly not,” said Judge Pyncheon. “I am not interested in owııing this old house. But of ali my uncle’s money, not one half no, even less appeared at the time of his death. Novv I have reason to believe that your brother Clifford knows where Uncle Jaffrey had put or invested the rest of it.”

 

“No, no!” said Hepzibah. “You are dreaming.”

 

“I do not belong to the dreaming kind of men. Some time be-fore our uncle died, Clifford told me rather proudly that he knew where Uncle Jaffrey kept his money and his important papers. Though he spoke lightly, I have good reason to think that he was telling the truth. Later, of course, after Uncle Jaf-frey’s death, Clifford no longer considered me his friend. He even thought me to be the cause of his disgrace. Naturally, while in prison, he would do nothing to help me find the rest of my uncle’s money. But the moment has novv arrived when he must give up the secret.”

 

“And what if he should refuse,” asked Hepzibah, “or, as I believe, if he knows nothing at ali about this matter?”

 

“My dear Cousin,” said Judge Pyncheon coldly, “since Clif-ford’s retum, I have taken the trouble to have every move he has made watched carefully. People who live near have kept their eyes on him for me. I understand that once he tried to throw himself into the Street from the upstâirs window. His general and switch has done cause me to believe that is not i'm his right in such a case, if he docs not agree"

 

“You cannot nıcan it," cricd llcp/ibah. “Oh, Jaffrey! Cousin Jaffrey! It is you vvho arc sick in ıııind. You lıave forgotten that your mother was a woıııan that you havc had sisters and bro-thers, or that tlıcrc is such a thing as afîection in this world. Else how could you havc dreamed of doing this? You are no longer young. Your hair is vvhite. Arc you not rich enough? You could live with only a small part of the money you already have. This wish for more and more money has run in the blood of our family these two hundred years. You are but doing över again what others have done before you and with such awful results.”

 

“Do not talk so foolishly,” said Judge Pyncheon. “I have made up my mind. And, as you know, I am not a man vvho can be easily changed. You yourself must now decide what is to be done. Cali Clifford and let me talk with him or I will go ahead with my other plan.”

 

“You are stronger than I,” said Hepzibah. “Clifford is not out of his mind now, but after talking with you he may be. But what can I do? There is no other course open to me. I will cali him. But remember, Jaffrey Pyncheon, God is looking down upon you at this moment.”

 

Judge Pyncheon followed Hepzibah from the shop, where this conversation had taken place. While Hepzibah went up-stairs to find Clifford, he went into the living room. He sat down. He took out his watch and held it in his hand as though to see how long it would take Clifford to come down. He coughed lightly or rather made the same lovv sound in his throat that Hepzibah had heard him make when he first entered the shop.

 

Comprehension, Discussion, and Vocabulary Review

 

A. 1. Why had Hepzibah spoken out freely?

 

2. Who, according to the judge, had arranged for Clifford to have his freedom?