"Humph!" said Mrs. Bates. "Well, you ought to been here Friday
night, and I thought Adam came precious near it Saturday."
"Demonstrating power, or anger, yes," said Kate. "I meant
affection. And isn't it the queerest thing how people are made?
Of all the boys, Adam is the one who has had the most softening
influences, and who has made the most money, and yet he's acting
the worst of all. It really seems as if failure and hardship make
more of a human being of folks than success."
"You're right," said Mrs. Bates. "Look at Nancy Ellen and Adam.
Sometimes I think Adam has been pretty much galled with Agatha and
her money all these years; and it just drives him crazy to think
of having still less than she has. Have you got your figures all
set down, to back you up, Katie?"
"Yes," said Kate. "I've gone all over it with Robert, and he
thinks it's the best and only thing that can be done. Now go to
sleep."
Each knew that the other was awake most of the night, but very few
words passed between them. They were up early, dressed, and
waiting when the first carriage stopped at the gate. Kate told
her mother to stay where she would not be worried until she was
needed, and went down herself to meet her brothers and sisters in
the big living room. When the last one arrived, she called her
mother. Mrs. Bates came down looking hollow-eyed, haggard, and
grim, as none of her children ever before had seen her. She
walked directly to the little table at the end of the room, and
while still standing she said: "Now I've got a few words to say,
and then I'll turn this over to a younger head an' one better at
figures than mine. I've said my say as to Pa, yesterday. Now
I'll say THIS, for myself. I got my start, minding Pa, and
agreeing with him, young; but you needn't any of you throw it in
my teeth now, that I did. There is only ONE woman among you, and
no MAN who ever disobeyed him. Katie stood up to him once, and
got seven years from home to punish her and me. He wasn't RIGHT
then, and I knew it, as I'd often known it before, and pretty
often since; but no woman God ever made could have lived with Adam
Bates as his wife and contraried him. I didn't mind him any
quicker or any oftener than the rest of you; keep that pretty
clear in your heads, and don't one of you dare open your mouth
again to tell me, as you did Saturday, what I SHOULD a-done, and
what I SHOULDN'T. I've had the law of this explained to me; you
all know it for that matter. By the law, I get this place and one
third of all the other land and money. I don't know just what
money there is at the bank or in notes and mortgages, but a
sixteenth of it after my third is taken out ain't going to make or
break any of you. I've told Katie what I'm willing to do on my
part and she will explain it, and then tell you about a plan she
has fixed up. As for me, you can take it or leave it. If you
take it, well and good; if you don't, the law will be set in
motion to-day, and it will take its course to the end. It all
depends on YOU.