“My father was right,” said Dunn, below his breath; “that girl will bring sorrow on us yet.”
“But, after all, what value could they have in her eyes? She knows nothing about the questions they refer to; she could not decipher the very titles of the documents.”
“I ought to have known,—I ought to have foreseen it,” cried Dunn, passionately. “What has my whole life been but a struggle against the blunders, the follies, and the faults of those who should have served me! Other men are fortunate in their agents. It was reserved for me to have nothing but incapables, or worse.”
“If you mean to include me in either of these categories, sir, will you please to say which?” said Hankes, reddening with anger.
“Take your choice,—either, or both!” said Dunn, savagely.
“A man must be very strong in honesty that can afford to speak in this fashion of others,” said Hankes, his voice tremulous with rage. “At all events, the world shall declare whether he be right or not.”
“How do you mean, 'the world shall declare'? Is it that what has passed between us here can be made matter for public notoriety? Would you dare—”
“Oh, I would dare a great deal, sir, if I was pushed to it,” said Hankes, scoffingly. “I would dare, for instance, to let the world we are speaking of into some of the mysteries of modern banking. I have a vast amount of information to give as to the formation of new companies,—how shares are issued, cancelled, and reissued. I could tell some amusing anecdotes about title-deeds of estates that never were transferred—”
Why is it that Mr. Hankes, now in the full flood of his sarcasm, stops so suddenly? What has arrested his progress; and why does he move so hurriedly towards the door, which Dunn has, however, already reached before him and locked? Was it something in the expression of Dunn's features that alarmed him?—truly, there was in his look what might have appalled a stouter heart,—or was it that Dunn had suddenly taken something, he could not discern what, from a drawer, and hastily hidden it in his pocket?
“Merciful heavens!” cried Hankes, trembling all over, “you would not dare—”