Peter put his hand on Ray’s shoulder.
“Even if—if—it is one dear to us both?”
“Peter!”
“Yes. Do you remember your being called home in our Spanish trip, unexpectedly? You left me to bring Miss De Voe, and—Well. They’ve bribed, or forged affidavits of two of the stewards of the ‘Majestic.’”
Ray tried to spring forward towards Curlew. But Peter’s hand still rested on his shoulder, and held him back, “I started to kill him,” Peter said quietly, “but I remembered he was nothing but the miserable go-between.”
“My God, Peter! What can I say?”
“Ray! The stepping aside is nothing to me. It was an office which I was ready to take, but only as a sacrifice and a duty. It is to prevent wrong that I interfered. So do not think it means a loss to me to retire.”
“Peter, do what you intended to do. We must not compromise with wrong even for her sake.”
The two shook hands, “I do not think they will ever use it, Ray,” said Peter. “But I may be mistaken, and cannot involve you in the possibility, without your consent.”
“Of course they’ll use it,” cried Ogden. “Scoundrels who could think of such a thing, will use it without hesitation.”