It was from her I learned
the truth. As he rose in the world Harding seems to have treated the girl
badly. A little kindness and a little attention on my part, and I learned
the truth. She placed me in possession of the whole story after we had
lunched together to-day."
Stanley at last took the chair he had so long refused. He sat with his
arms folded.
"And I kept my mouth closed!" he muttered. "It was their job. I would no
more have pulled the trigger of my revolver than I would have shot myself
--if I had known. It was they who put the cartridges there!"
He sat for a moment quite still. Mr. Bundercombe rang the bell.
"The gentlemen I am expecting," he said, "will be here in a moment. You
can show them in directly they arrive."
The man bowed and withdrew. Mr. Bundercombe turned to his visitor.
"I have made the acquaintance," he continued, "of these two men, your late
partners--sought them out and made it purposely. They are coming here to
see me to-night. They fancy that it is just a friendly call. They know
that I have money to invest. I have even made use of them, employed them
to buy for me bonds of my own choosing. They think it is an affair of a
little business chat, perhaps, and a restaurant supper.
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