Just once he tried to justify his past methods, but with a sneer of scorn he put such thoughts from him.
As he sat in deep meditation the door opened again. He looked up, and saw that it was Mr. Forbes who had entered.
"I am glad to see you," said Mr. Denton, quickly, "and I hope you are feeling entirely recovered."
Mr. Forbes bowed slightly, as he dropped into a chair.
"Mr. Forbes," said Mr. Denton, "I am ashamed of myself! I never knew until to-day that I was such a scoundrel!"
He pointed to the paper that he still held in his hand, and in a very few words repeated his late conversation.
"That is necessary in business," said Mr. Forbes shortly, "and it is, to say the least, peculiar that you shouldn't know it!"
"Well, it's an infamous trick!" was Mr. Denton's rejoinder. "Just think of the poor people whom we have defrauded in that manner!"
"I prefer to think of the dollars it has brought into our pockets," said Mr. Forbes sullenly, "and now that we are on the subject, I may as well say, Mr. Denton, that I am sick and tired of this whole idiotic business!"
"Do you wish to sell out?"