What should I want to
quarrel about?'
'Perhaps you will be good enough to tell me why you come here, then?'
'A very reasonable request. Very reasonable indeed, and perfectly
natural, but still quite unnecessary. It is not likely that a man would
climb up here into your rooms, and then not be prepared to tell you why
he came. I came, in the first place, to congratulate you on the beautiful
and dramatic way in which you secured the mine at the last moment, or
apparently at the last moment. I suppose you had the money all the time?'
'No, I had not.'
'Then you came in to Von Brent just as soon as you received it?'
'Well, now, I don't see that it is the business of anyone else but
myself. Still, if you want to know, I may say that I came to Mr. Von
Brent's room at the moment I received the money.'
'Really! Then it was sent over by cable, I presume?'
'Your presumption is entirely correct.'
'My dear Kenyon,' said the young man, seating himself without being
asked, and gazing at John in a benevolent kind of way, 'you really show
some temper over this little affair of yours. Now, here is the whole
thing in a nutshell----'
'My dear sir, I don't wish to hear the whole thing, in a nutshell. I know
all about it--all I wish to know.'
'Ah, precisely; of course you do; certainly; but, nevertheless, let me
have my say. Here is the whole thing. I tried to--well, to cheat you.
I thought I could make a little money by doing so, and my scheme
failed.
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