He turned reassuringly and she nodded her head nervously, then stepped out and stood facing Wiley.
“It is a question,” began Wiley, speaking like one in a dream, “of the way you paid Mr. Blount that money. When you took it to him first, before they had talked to you, did you tell him it was my payment on the option?”
Virginia glanced at Blount, then she took a deep breath and drew herself up very straight.
“No,” she said, “I spoke to him first about buying back father’s stock.”
“But after that,” he said, “didn’t you hand him over the money and say it was sent by me?”
“No, I didn’t,” she answered. “After the way you had treated me I didn’t think it was right.”
“Not right!” he repeated with a slow, dazed smile. “Why–why wasn’t it right, Virginia?”
“Because,” she went on, “you were trying to deceive me and beat me and mother out of our rights. You knew all the time that father’s stock was still ours–and that Mr. Blount never even claimed it!”
“Never claimed it!” cried Wiley, suddenly roused to resentment. “Well, Virginia, he most certainly did! He offered to sell it to me for five cents a share when I took out that option on the Paymaster!”
“Now, now, Wiley!” began Blount, but Virginia cut him short with a scornful wave of the hand.