"You remember that you gave it up right then."
"I did. I said it's 'witch's gould.'"
"Sure such it looked like that day," said Biddy.
"All the same, the thing which scared you put a happy thought into my head, and I felt then I could solve it." He lifted his head and looked around defiantly. "In short, when I bought your stock in at ten cents on the dollar I knew it was worth par, for I had solved the process."
There was a silence very awesome following the defiant ring of the voice.
Eldred was the first to comprehend what it meant. His eyes glittered like those of an awakened rat.
"Do you mean that? If that's true you robbed us, you thief, robbed us cold and clean." He sprang up. "I knew you'd do something——"
"Sit down," interrupted Clement harshly. "I'm not going to have any words with you. If I had seen fit not to tell you of this how much would you have known of it? Sit down and keep your tongue between your teeth." He turned to Dan and his voice was softer. "Dan, when I was hungry you took me in and fed me. For that I've given you a good position. Is that debt paid?"
"Sure, Clement, me boy, it was only a sup of p'taties an' bacon, annyway."
"Biddy, I turned over two thousand dollars to you, and rebuilt your eating-house. You thought that paid the debt I owed you?"