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It was the Madam's opinion that "blood would tell," and the good blood of many past Sturtevants stirred now in their descendant's veins, rousing his unselfishness, and making him say: "F-f-fudge! You look b-b-beat out. I'll go the road, all right. I don't m-m-m-mind it m-m-much, not much;" for even chivalry could not prevent this last truthful word of regret.
For if there was anything which this "last of the Sturtevants" hated worse than paying a visit it was taking a cold bath in a tub, an ordinary wooden wash-tub! To have both bath and visit imposed upon him in one fell hour, was an undreamed-of calamity.
I Say, I'm goin' to h-h-hide in the s-s-secret chamb er. Don't you t-t-tell anybody. You fetch my s-s-s-supper up after dark. An' some w-w-water. Fetch enough to l-l-last forever! I don't know as I s-s-shall ever ever dare to c-c-come down." The Mansion where the Sturtevants had lived during many generations was a house even older than The Maples.
"Montgomery Sturtevant! How dare you? An' I will say that's the first lie I ever heard you tell. You're bad enough, oh, you're as bad as you need to be, but a liar! Whew!" The lad sprang to his feet, furious. His hands clenched, and it was well that his accuser was a disabled old man, else the "hot blood of the Sturtevants" might have driven their young descendant to do desperate deeds.
Alas! at that moment the impecunious heir of all the Sturtevants was himself in anything but a whistling mood; and was thinking direful things concerning a girl with whom he had not yet exchanged a word. "The h-h-h-hateful young one! Un-un-uncle Mose said 'none o' my wor-r-ry, an' that's all he k-k-knew! Plague take her!
"Katharine, you may take Montgomery over to that little table where the photograph albums are, and show them to him. You and he should be good friends, as all the Sturtevants and Maitlands have been for generations before you," said Miss Eunice, after the presentation had been made, and during which ceremony Monty had wisely refrained from speech. "Come on, then, and I'm awfully glad to see you.
Then she remembered that "H-h-h-hay mow!" was the one and only word the boy had uttered during that scene of the brass bound box. Now again just "H-h-hay-mow!" She passed her hand wearily across her eyes trying to understand. Then said the last of the Sturtevants, recovering, and stammering but slightly in his earnestness: "F-fetch a lantern, quick!
She was democratic by profession and did not feel called upon to explain that as a matter of fact there was nobody living so appreciative as herself of "good family" as represented in Marsden by the Sturtevants and Maitlands. She merely ignored the remark, starting from her seat as a terrible blast set the old Mansion trembling on its stout beams and an east side shutter blew from its hinges.
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