"Who do you think I am?" said Merriam. "And who are you?" he added in an insolent tone.
The impressive financier stared. He bent down and stared harder.
"Well?" Merriam demanded with all the hauteur he could muster. And then: "Got an eye-ful?"
He had preconceived this colloquy in much more dignified phrases, but the insulting tag of boyish slang popped out of him unawares. However, he could not have done better. Probably he could never, by taking thought, have done as well. Senator Norman would assuredly not have used that expression; it had been coined long since his day in Boyville.
Mr. Crockett was convinced. But he was a gentleman of considerable imperturbability. He merely straightened up and asked:
"Who are you?"
The younger man suddenly decided not to give his name. There was that in Mr. Crockett's blue eyes that suggested an uncomfortable pertinacity and ruthlessness in following up any clue he might get hold of.
"What business is that of yours?" said Merriam.
Mr. Crockett blinked. He was doubtless unaccustomed to such replies. But he merely asked another question:
"Where are you from?"