'
Kenyon was silent.
'Now, all this time you are wondering why I came here. Doubtless you wish
to know what I want.'
'I have not the slightest interest in the matter,' said Kenyon.
'That is ungracious, but, nevertheless, I will continue. It is better, I
see, to be honest with you, if a man wants to get anything from you. Now,
I want to get a bit of information from you. I want to know where you got
the money with which you bought the mine?'
'I got it from the bank.'
'Ah, yes, but I want to know who sent it over to you?'
'It was sent to me by George Wentworth.'
'Quite so; but _now_ I want to know who gave Wentworth the money?'
'You will have a chance of finding that out when you go to England, by
asking him.'
'Then you won't tell me?'
'I can't tell you.'
'You mean by that, of course, that you won't.'
'I always mean, Mr. Longworth, exactly what I say. I mean that I can't
tell you. I don't know myself.'
'Really?'
'Yes, really. You seem to have some difficulty in believing that anybody
can speak the truth.'
'Well, it isn't a common vice, speaking the truth. You must forgive a
little surprise.' He nursed his knee for a moment, and looked
meditatively up at the ceiling. 'Now, would you like to know who
furnished that money?'
'I have no curiosity in the matter whatever.'
'Have you not? You are a singular man. It seems to me that a person into
whose lap twenty thousand pounds drops from the skies would have some
little curiosity to know from whom the money came.
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