At any rate, she is his protegee. But she isn't the sort
you're thinking of, Gashwiler. They say she knows, or pretends to know,
something about the grant. She may have got hold of some of her uncle's
papers. Those Greasers were always d----d fools; and, if he did anything
foolish, like as not he bungled or didn't cover up his tracks. And with
his knowledge and facilities too! Why, if I'd--" but here Mr.
Wiles stopped to sigh over the inequalities of fortune that wasted
opportunities on the less skillful scamp.
Mr. Gashwiler became dignified. "She can do nothing with us," he said
potentially.
Wiles turned his wicked eye on him. "Manuel and Miguel, who sold out to
our man, are afraid of her. They were our witnesses. I verily believe
they'd take back everything if she got after them. And as for Pedro, he
thinks she holds the power of life and death over him."
"Pedro! life and death,--what's all this?" said the astonished
Gashwiler.
Wiles saw his blunder, but saw also that he had gone too far to stop.
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