He meant to probe Peggy's case thoroughly,
and knew that it would be no easy matter to get at the truth while
she had Red Mick alongside to prompt her. He had not dealt with the
mountain folk for nothing, and handled his clients in a way that
would astonish a more conservative practitioner.
"Mick," he said, "You go over to Isaacstein's store and wait till
I send for you."
"I want Mick to be wid me," began Peggy.
Blake blazed up. He knew that he must keep his ascendancy over
these wild people by force of determination.
"You heard what I said," he thundered, turning fiercely on Peggy.
"You want this and you want that! It's not what you want, it's what
I want! You do what you're told. If you don't--I won't help you.
Mick, you go over to the store, and wait till I send for you." And
Mick shambled off.
Peggy, still inclined to be defiant, settled herself in her chair.
She had battled in North Queensland so long that she neither feared
nor respected anybody; but her native shrewdness told her she had
all to gain and nothing to lose by doing what her lawyer advised.
"Now, Peggy," he said, "do you want to make a claim against William
Grant's estate?"
"Yis."
"On the ground that you're his widow?"
"Yis. I'll tell yer--"
"No, you won't tell me anything. I'll tell you.
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