He laughed shortly and rather hardly.
"Oh, if it was only that!"
It was another of the things I wished he hadn't said, but with the words he started on again, walking so fast for a few paces that I made no effort to keep up with him. When he waited till I rejoined him we fell again to talking of Stacy Grainger. At the first opportunity I asked the question that was chiefly on my mind.
"Wasn't there something at one time between him and Mrs. Brokenshire?"
He marched on with head erect.
"I believe so," he admitted, reluctantly, but not till some seconds had passed.
"There was a big fight, wasn't there," I persisted, "between him and Mr. Brokenshire—over Editha Billing—on the Stock Exchange—or something like that?"
Again he allowed some seconds to go by.
"So I've heard."
I fished out of my memory such tag ends of gossip as had reached me, I could hardly tell from where.