“I will if you send him up.”
“No, you won’t, either. You’ve done enough harm already with your old two-dollar bill. If you’re halfways decent you’ll try and stop the story from getting around any more.”
“I like your cheek, Gordon,” answered Benson, slamming a book down on the table. “If I’ve made a mistake in mentioning the thing to Barrow I’m sorry, and I’ll deny the story whenever I hear it; I can’t do any more than that, can I?”
“But what did you do it for?” insisted Wayne.
“Why, I’ve explained it, haven’t I? What’s the good of talking about it any more? If the money was stolen, it’s stolen, and——”
“It wasn’t stolen, and you know it, Benson.”
“I don’t know anything of the sort,” responded Benson, losing his temper. “I only know that you tell me Gray isn’t a thief; maybe he isn’t. But the money was there when he came in and it was gone when he went out; and he wanted money. If you’ve got anything else to say, say it to Gray.”
“You’re a coward, Benson, to make such a charge when you can’t——”
“Well, on my word! Say, you’d better get out of here, or——”