'Will you listen to what I have to say?'
'No; I will not.'
'Then, by God, you shall!' and with that Wentworth strode to the door and turned the key, while the old man rose from his seat and faced him.
'Do you mean to threaten me, sir, in my own office?'
'I mean to say, Mr. Longworth, that I have made a statement which I am going to prove to you. I mean that you shall listen to me, and listen to me now!'
'And I say, if you have anything to charge against my nephew, come and say it when he is here.'
'When he is here, Mr. Longworth, it will be too late to say it; at present you can repair the injury he has done. When he returns to England you cannot do so, no matter how much you might wish to make the attempt.'
The old man stood irresolute for a moment, then he sat down in his chair again.
'Very well,' he said, with a sigh; 'I am not so combative as I once was. Go on with your story.'
'My story is very short,' said Wentworth; 'it simply amounts to this: You know your nephew formed a partnership with us in relation to the Canadian mine?'