Dredlinton stood upon the threshold, blinking a
little as he gazed into the room. He recognized Wingate with a start of
amazement.
"Wingate?" he exclaimed. "Why the mischief didn't any one tell me you
were here?"
"Mr. Wingate called to see me," Josephine replied.
There was an ugly curl upon Dredlinton's lips. He opened his mouth and
closed it again. Then his truculent attitude suddenly vanished without
the slightest warning. He became an entirely altered person.
"Look here, Wingate," he confessed, "on thinking it over, I believe I've
been making rather an idiot of myself. Josephine," he went on, turning to
his wife, "be so kind as to leave us alone for a short time."
He opened the door. Josephine hesitated for a moment, then, in response
to a barely noticeable gesture from Wingate, she left the room. Her
husband closed the door carefully behind her. His attitude, as he turned
once more towards the other man, was distinctly conciliatory.
"Wingate," he invited, "sit down, won't you, and smoke a cigar with me.
Let us have a reasonable chat together, I am perfectly convinced that
there is nothing for us to quarrel about."
"Since when have you come to that conclusion, Lord Dredlinton?" Wingate
asked, without abandoning his somewhat uncompromising attitude.
"Since our interview at the office."
"You mean when you tried to blackmail me into selling my shipping
shares?"
Dredlinton frowned.
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