“Yes.”
“Did he give down or hold up?”
“He seemed very much startled when he saw me, and I had some difficulty in getting him to discuss the matter in hand.”
“Was he afraid you had come to rob him, or did he think he had got me in a corner?”
“No. He knew who it was that approached him, but I should have told you, Mr. Hemster, that this is the man who got my five hundred thousand dollars some years ago, and he was under the mistaken impression that I had come to wring some part of it back from him.”
“Ah, he thought you were camping on his trail, did he? What did you do?”
“I explained that I was there merely as your representative. He made some objection at first to showing his hand, as he called it; but finally, seeing that he could not come at his desired interview with you unless he took me into his confidence, he did so, although with extreme reluctance.”
“Yes, and what were your conclusions?”
“My conclusions are that his letter to you was perfectly truthful. He has the following firms behind him on a six months’ option, and these others have sold their businesses to him outright. His position, therefore, is all that he asserted it to be,” and with this I placed my notes before my chief.
“You are thoroughly convinced of that?”