“Do you mean to say that I couldn't stop to-morrow if I wanted to?”
She affected to not understand him.
“You?” she inquired in a tone of surprise.
“Well—it's a natural question,” stammered Ryder, with a nervous little laugh; “every man sees himself in the hero of a novel just as every woman sees herself in the heroine. We're all heroes and heroines in our own eyes. But tell me what's your private opinion of this man. You drew the character. What do you think of him as a type, how would you classify him?”
“As the greatest criminal the world has yet produced,” replied Shirley without a moment's hesitation.
The financier looked at the girl in unfeigned astonishment.
“Criminal?” he echoed.
“Yes, criminal,” repeated Shirley decisively. “He is avarice, egotism, and ambition incarnate. He loves money because he loves power, and he loves power more than his fellow man.”
Ryder laughed uneasily. Decidedly, this girl had opinions of her own which she was not backward to express.
“Isn't that rather strong?” he asked.