Presently he went into the stock exchange, almost deserted now, after the close of the morning session. O'Brien was there, smoking a long black cigar and chatting in his boisterous, confidential way with Asbury Harpending. The latter was babbling in real estate.
"Hullo, Windham!" he greeted. "You don't look very fit.... Been ill?"
"Yes," Benito told him. "Laid up since the last of May. What's new?"
"Nothing much--since the bottom dropped out of Comstock."
Instinctively Benito's hand went out toward a chair. He sank into it weakly. So that was the explanation of Ralston's swift departure.
He felt the men's eyes upon him as he walked unsteadily to the files and scanned them. Ophir stock had dropped 50 per cent. Gould and Curry was even lower. Benito closed the book and walked blindly out of the exchange.
After a time he heard footsteps following. Harpending's voice came, "Hey, there, Windham." Benito turned.
"Cleaned out?" asked the other sympathetically.
"Not--quite."
"Then forget the stocks. They're tricky things at best.... I've a proposition that's a winner. Positively.... There's law work to be done. We need you."