"I know."
"Surely you would not betray me—you, the man who worked for years at my side?"
"I cannot compromise with crime. It is my duty as a good, law-abiding citizen, to denounce you to the authorities."
"You—a good, law-abiding citizen!" repeated John Barton, with scornful emphasis.
Squire Marlowe started back in astonishment. The worm had turned.
"Do you mean to question it?" he demanded, sharply.
"Yes, I do."
"On what grounds?"
"Albert Marlowe," said John Barton, sternly, "one of us two is a thief, but I am not the one."
"Do you mean to insult me?" exclaimed the squire, white with anger, not unmingled with uneasy fear.