“Did you hear me?” he added. “How much money have you got in the bank?”
“Not a cent,” I returned. And somehow it gave me pleasure to say so.
“Not a cent! Come, I want the truth.”
“I have told the truth. We have no bank account.”
“Well, then, how much money have you on hand?”
“Not a dollar.”
“You mean that?”
“If I didn’t I wouldn’t say so. Business is bad, and I have all I can do to make both ends meet. I took in twenty-one dollars yesterday, and paid it out on account a few hours afterwards.”
Mr. Norton sank back in his chair. I could see that his hopes had had a great fall. Evidently he had expected me to mention quite a round sum.
“Then how do you expect to pay me my six hundred and fifty dollars?” he demanded after a spell of silence.