Listen hard, mind, and don't interrupt. Have you ever
wondered why I put you on the Board of the B.& I.?"
"My title, I suppose--and social position."
"Rot!" Phipps answered scornfully. "Your title and your social position
aren't worth a damn to me. I put you on because of your wife."
Dredlinton stared at him.
"Why, you didn't even know her!"
"Never mind. I knew her to look at. I wanted to know her. Now I do know
her, and it hasn't done me much good."
Dredlinton sat a little more erect in his place. Behind his cynical
exterior, his evil brain had begun to work.
"Look here, Phipps," he said, "I don't care about this conversation. If
a man happens to admire another man's wife, her husband is scarcely the
proper confidant."
"Oh, yes, I know your theory!" Phipps scoffed. "You're willing enough to
hide your head in the sand and take the goods the gods send you. That
doesn't suit me. I happen to need your help."
"My help?" Dredlinton repeated. "The poor little spider to help the
mighty Phipps! You're not finding difficulties in the way of your
suit, are you?"
"If I do, it will be the worse for you," was the gruff reply. "As
you're going on now, Dredlinton, it will be your wife, and your wife
alone, who'll keep you out of jail before many weeks are past. How
about that cheque to Farnham and Company last week? Farnham's say they
never got it, but I hear it's come back through the bank with a queer
endorsement upon it.
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