"Williams, how long has Slosson been in New York?"
This question brought a narrowing of the other man's lids.
"A week, or a little over."
"Did you or Macgowan send him to my house?"
To all three of his listeners, this question brought startled surprise, for Dorns knew nothing of Armstrong's recent domestic trouble. For an instant Williams was so badly shaken that Armstrong thought the victory won.
"Your house?" repeated Williams, bewildered and wildly alarmed. "What the devil was he doing there?"
"Talking," said Armstrong. Perceiving the advantage of reticence, and being himself ignorant of Slosson's exact errand at Aircastle Point, he gave the frowning Windsor a slight smile. Obviously, that gentleman thought that Slosson had given Armstrong warning of this whole affair, and was disturbed thereby. Armstrong shifted his ground quickly.
"As you very well know, at the time you charge that I was conspiring with you, my affairs were all in the hands of Lawrence Macgowan. Just where does he enter into this matter?"
Williams hesitated slightly before this shrewd demand.
"So far as I know," he responded, "he was not connected with it at all."