“What is it? What do you want?”
“A gentleman to see you, sir. Mr. Alston from—”
“I can’t see him!” Slotman said quickly. “Tell him I am out, and that—”
“I am already here, and you are going to see me.” Hugh Alston came in. “You can go!” to the boy, who hesitated. “You hear me, you can go!”
Hugh closed the door after the lad.
“You’re not going to be too busy to see me this morning, Slotman, for I have interesting things to discuss with you.”
“I am a busy man,” Slotman began nervously.
“Very!” said Hugh—“very, so I hear.”
He stepped into the room, and faced Slotman across the paper-littered table.
“I have been hearing about some of your enterprises,” he said, and there was that in his face that caused Mr. Slotman a feeling of insecurity and uneasiness. “One of them is blackmail!”