“Entirely so, sir.”
“So that no one, here or elsewhere, shares our knowledge of the new points in this mechanism?”
“I say so, sir.”
“Then if I should kill you,” came in ferocious accents, “now—here—”
“You would be the only one to own that knowledge. But you won’t kill me.”
“Why?”
“Need I go into reasons?”
“Why? I say.”
“Because your conscience is already too heavily laden to bear the burden of another unprovoked crime.”
Brotherson, starting back, glared with open ferocity upon the man who dared to face him with such an accusation.