"Did you?" was the calm rejoinder.
"That is beside the question. And why did you assert that I had told you that I never did a day's work at the university?"
"But you did say so—didn't you?"
"Again beside the question. And what did you mean by stating that I had deserted my wife, and turned my children out-of-doors at a moment's notice?"
"But were those statements true or untrue?"
"That you have not received a writ for libel is my answer. But how came you to know these unpleasant details—who told you?"
"You did."
"I did! When, where and how?"
"When I saw you here, and at my request."
"I do not understand you," murmured the puzzled celebrity. "Why should I tell you all this?"