Stellan rose and stared at the managing director of the company:
“Peter, have you cheated him out of his shares?”
Peter resembled a bear which has been smoked out of his den. He growled nervously and beat about him with half paralysed paws.
“Hm, well, damn it all, what was I to do.... He begged me to help him....”
Laura rose purple with anger:
“You are a wretched scoundrel,” she cried, “a wretched scoundrel! For three years you have cheated us!”
Stellan fidgeted at his sister’s vulgar expression:
“Please tell us immediately what you paid Tord,” he said stiffly. “Otherwise I will adjourn the meeting and go out myself to Järnö to find out.”
Peter stood there rocking and shuffling his feet. His eyes grew smaller and smaller in his head:
“Well, seventy-five thousand,” he mumbled with a grin that was now rather pleased than embarrassed.