"He thinks the request of a Rozier is 'nothing,' does he?" he snarled. "I'll teach him it is very much of a something."
But his rage was forgotten when his offspring told of Fred's struggle with his tormentor and the startling incident of the beard.
"Are you positive that you saw the whiskers clear of his face?" he demanded. "It might have seemed that way if Consollas pulled out a handful of hairs."
"I'm willing to take my oath that the beard is false, sir," returned the young man.
From under his bushy brows the banker scrutinized his son's face, thrumming on his desk the while.
What he saw made him believe that the boy was telling the truth to the best of his knowledge and at last he observed:
"I'm not surprised. I'm not surprised. I didn't like the man's looks from the first. He was too impudent when I offered to pay him for saving Sally, altogether too impudent."
"Well, you're so much in," rejoined his son, aware of his sire's weakness. "He might have asked you twenty-five thousand for doing it. You're lucky to get off so easy."
"So I am, so I am," repeated the elder man, but his voice sounded far away and from long experience the heir to his property knew that he was thinking deeply.