“And what do you mean by your part being finished?”
“I have worked in this office five years,” Bellair answered. “I never saw nor heard of a man in my position, or in a similar position of asking something, who profited by allowing delay. I will put the matter out of mind if the letter is not furnished to-day. Of course, I expect to get it. In fact, I have the pressure to force the issue—although it seems trivial for me to mention it.”
Bellair had thought of Mr. Prentidd again. There was doubtless a case of some kind pending on the matter of the Nubian File. Mr. Prentidd was no man to stop. It would not have been settled within six months. Lot & Company knew of his knowledge of this affair. Bellair plunged:
“In fact, there is a case against Lot & Company, to which I might add a singular weight of testimony. As for my own, it would go to the same counsel——”
Mr. Nathan ruffled his hair and the silent fall of grey white dust followed. Bellair felt pent. After so long a time at sea, it was hard for him to breathe in this place. He wearied now of the game, although Mr. Nathan was palpably down, present in the material plane.
“Bellair,” said he, turning about in his chair, “the added pressure of a discredited employé doesn’t count for much as testimony in any case——”
“I realised at once the reason why you discredited me—to cripple for the time being any knowledge I might care to use against you. However, you have all granted that I am not discredited. The only item mentioned in the charge was the item covered by the Trust company. You would have to work with Mr. Sproxley to show a deficit in the books having to do with my departure——”
“Bellair,” said Mr. Nathan, “a poor man can never win a suit against a strongly backed firm——”
“That is unfortunately true,” said Bellair, “but I am not poor. I came into an inheritance during the past six months. The fact is, I think I could spend as much money to buy justice as Lot & Company would be willing to spend to prevent it.”
“Bellair,” said Mr. Nathan, “you will find it impossible to move the press in your behalf against the firm of Lot & Company, with our advertising contracts among the valuable ones in the city lists——”