And the policemen left the room. To their eyes the famous Mr. Bence was the natural chieftain of any assemblage, no matter how pompously anybody else talked. Here, they were at his service, detailed for Bence's just as much as if it had been a sale day and they and their mates were regulating the traffic in front of the shop.
"Now," said Collins, with a change of manner, and speaking in a conciliatory if argumentative tone, "we can pick up our little debate. Mr. Marsden, come now, after all, what is this fuss about?"
Marsden laughed; but his laughter was dull and spiritless.
"Go on—jabber, jabber."
"Really now. What is the grievance? You have sold your business and been paid for it. Of your own free will, you have parted with your interests. You have renounced all claims upon your wife."
"Yes—but I've been tricked into doing it."
"Where's the trick?"
"She made me think we were done."
"So you were. You came to her and told her so. You prevailed on her to agree to the sale. It wasn't her proposition, but yours."
"I shouldn't have made it if I had known."