The
unfortunate man at her side was flattered.
'For what I have told you,' he said, 'we were offered twice what the
London people pay us for coming out here. In fact, even more than that:
we were asked to name our own price.'
'Really now! By the owners of the property, I suppose, if you wouldn't
tell on them?'
'No. By one of your famous New York newspaper men. He even went so far
as to steal the papers that Kenyon had in Ottawa. He was cleverly caught,
though, before he could make any use of what he had stolen. In fact,
unless his people in New York had the figures which were originally
placed before the London Board, I doubt if my statistics would have been
of much use to him even if he had been allowed to keep them. The full
significance of my report will not show until the figures I have given
are compared with those already in the hands of the London people, which
were vouched for as correct by your clever American accountant.'
'You shouldn't run down an accountant just because he is American.
Perhaps there will come a day, Mr. Wentworth, when you will admit that
there are Americans who are more clever than either that accountant or
that newspaper man. I don't think your specimens are typical.'
'I don't "run down," as you call it, the men because they are Americans.
I "run down" the accountant because he was either ignorant or corrupt. I
"run down" the newspaper man because he was a thief.'
Miss Brewster was silent for a few moments.
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