This time Bofinger remained blankly staring at him, struck by a dawning comprehension. All at once, forgetting the distance between them, he seized his partner by the collar crying:
"What do you mean? What had you to do with all that?"
"Everything," Groll said calmly. "Take your hand off and quiet down. I am going to tell you all."
"You—great God, it was you!"
"Right, me, your partner whom you deceived."
An oath shrieked out and Bofinger, dropping his hold, sank back in the limpness of despair.
"My time is valuable, let me get at this," Groll said coldly, abandoning the familiar tone. Then quickly he recounted the circumstances of Fargus's discovery of Bofinger's conspiracy.
"Yes, it was to me he came for his vengeance," he said, gazing at his companion who remained as in a stupor. "The idea was like him—to strike you by the hand of your partner—whom you thought you were deceiving. Not a bad idea that."
"You planned out that business in Mexico!" Bofinger cried hoarsely.