“When you’ve heard the whole story, Mr. Dangerfield, I think you’ll agree with me that Miss Cressage has done you a very great service.”
The old man again scanned Westenhanger’s face keenly, before making any reply. Evidently his scrutiny satisfied him; for the distrust slowly faded out of his expression and he turned to Eileen with a faint sketch of a bow, as though making acknowledgment and amends.
“I am entirely in your hands,” he said. “It’s quite clear that you have been acting for the best.”
Eileen broke in as soon as he had finished.
“You mustn’t take what Mr. Westenhanger says as being strictly accurate. I really did very little to help. In fact, I’m as much in the dark as you are, just now, Mr. Dangerfield.”
Westenhanger intervened.
“I think it will be best to take the thing step by step and let you see how we reached the kernel of the affair. You’ve been doing your grandfather an injustice, all these years, Mr. Dangerfield. He was a better man than you gave him credit for. I’ve seen enough to know that. And I think you’ll find that the Corinthian’s Secret is more important than the Dangerfield Secret.”
The old man winced a little at Westenhanger’s words; but he refrained from comment.
“Now, to start with, would you mind letting me have the Corinthian’s document and the leather disc from the safe? We may as well work with the originals, as far as possible.”
Rollo stepped slowly across the room, unlocked the safe, and took out of it the two required articles which he handed over to Westenhanger in silence.