Macgowan frowned slightly. "Nothing, except wedding bells."
"Oh!" An ironic smile lighted the face of Williams. "Wriggling, are you? All right. You had a special reason for wanting to meet Slosson, and now you say he's a good man. That's enough to show me a few things—since I know you. Just how much do you know? Know that Food Products is going bust inside of six weeks or six days? I want to get from under, so give me the benefit of your advice."
Macgowan regarded his cousin with a frowning air.
"Ried, if I had your brains I'd be in Wall Street—or the penitentiary," he said slowly and smoothly, without offense in the words. "You and Slosson should both be in Indianapolis. Should be in the investment business there, brokerage, quite on your own hook, of course."
"So!" exclaimed Williams quietly. "What's in your mind, then?"
"Nothing save paternal advice."
"Have you enough confidence in our ability to underwrite the business?"
"Strictly as a matter between cousins, yes! If done quietly."
The two men looked at each other in silence, for a long moment. It was impossible to conceive what passed between them, what unspoken comprehension, what tacit agreement, lay in their minds. Williams was furtively admiring, Macgowan was blandly imperturbable. Yet one gathered that, no matter what comprehension might exist between these two men, Macgowan alone held the complete key to it.
Their talk was swiftly interrupted.