“That is precisely why I am not attempting to do so,” was the quick retort. “You will find, if you persevere far enough, that this is no bluff. I’m in dead earnest. Jimmy Duryea is dead, buried, and gone; Ledger Dinwiddie is very much alive, and is here on the spot, ready to do business. Ledger Dinwiddie owns estates in the South, heavily mortgaged, to be sure; but his, nevertheless. He can prove who he is, and every statement he makes about himself. If you should place me under arrest, you would cause me great inconvenience, to be sure; but you would cause others more than you would me—yourself among the number. Now, you can take that, or leave it.”
“You are covertly making a threat against Nan Nightingale.”
“I am not covertly threatening anybody; but I openly threaten every person, no matter who it is, who attempts to connect me with the former Jimmy Duryea. Now you’ve got it, straight from the shoulder.”
“Jimmy, I’ve got three questions to ask you.”
“Fire away.”
“I won’t go into the details of them till I have asked all of them.”
“Just as you please. I don’t want to hurry you. The storm is almost over, and as soon as it is past I shall deny myself the pleasure of your company, and go to the house.”
“We’ll see about that—when the storm is over.”
“We will see. Now, what are your questions?”