"You believe it all right," jeered the crook. "And the story don't hurt me a bit. I pretended to fall in with his plans, but I didn't do it. The results show that."
"They show me that you tried to do murder instead."
"That's all bunk. The evidence won't prove it."
Whitford announced his decision sharply. "If you'll leave me your telephone number, I'll let you know later in the day what we'll do."
He had told Durand that he did not believe his story. He had tried to reject it because he did not want to accept it, but after the man had gone and he thought it over, his judgment was that it held some germ of truth. If so, he was bound to protect Bromfield as far as he could. No matter what Clarendon had done, he could not throw overboard to the sharks the man who was still engaged to his daughter. He might not like him. In point of fact he did not. But he had to stand by him till he was out of his trouble.
Colin Whitford went straight to his daughter.
"Honey, this man Durand has just brought me a story about Clarendon. He says he paid him to get Clay into trouble at the Omnium Club in order to discredit him with us."
"Oh, Dad!"
"I'm going to see Clarendon. If it's true I don't want you to see him again. Authorize me to break the engagement for you."
They talked it over for a few minutes. Beatrice slipped the engagement ring from her finger and gave it to her father with a sigh.