"Wait," he said, as he turned to watch the doctor leave the room. "Is this so, Mr. Meyer," he added to the underwriter, "that Mr. Selfridge owned Titan stock, and would have been ruined, had he lived, by the loss of the insurance money?"
"Yes, he would have been a poor man. He had invested his last farthing—one hundred thousand pounds. And if he had left any more it would be assessed to make good his share of what der company must bay for der Royal Age, which I also insured."
"Was there a collision clause in the Titan's policy?"
"Dere was."
"And you took the risk, knowing that she was to run the Northern Lane at full speed through fog and snow?"
"I did—so did others."
"Then, Mr. Meyer, it remains for me to tell you that the insurance on the Titan will be paid, as well as any liabilities included in and specified by the collision clause in the policy. In short, I, the one man who can prevent it, refuse to testify."
"Vwhat-a-t?"
Mr. Meyer grasped the back of a chair and, leaning over it, stared at Rowland.
"You will not testify? Vwhat you mean?"