In fact, he never quite got
over that miserable hour of inspection on their part. He never ceased
to regret the condition of his ears on that stupendous occasion. What
might have been a really impressive hour in his life was spoiled by
the certainty that every one was paying more attention to his
misfortune than to his fortune.
Of course, the conditions of the will were pretty well known to the
three children of Joseph Hooper, hours before they were read to them.
They knew that their detestable father had practically disinherited
them, but they were not prepared for the staggering baseness employed
by the old man in giving his reasons for cutting them off. To their
chagrin, mortification, even shame, they were compelled to listen to
at least a dozen letters that they had written to their father during
the period covered by his supposed degeneracy. The originals of these
letters, stained, dirty, frazzled but incontrovertibly genuine, were
attached to the instrument, and were referred to in certain specific
recommendations incorporated in the body of the will itself.
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