Ignoring Mr. Morgan, Frank Clifford, to the unprejudiced observer, seemed to be engaged in reflections of his own; to which he presently gave shape in disconnected words. "Donald Lindsay? I seem to have heard the name." "I shouldn't be surprised." "Donald Lindsay? Why--it can't be!" "That conscience is pricking you at last? No, it can't be that." "Harry Trevor wouldn't--couldn't--he couldn't do a thing like that; and yet----" "And yet? So it's Harry Trevor now; as usual, everybody's guilty except the man who did it." "Mr. Morgan, I'm willing to believe that you don't realize what a confused nightmare I seem all at once to be moving in, and that that explains your attitude. If you did realize how wholly you have taken me by surprise----" "I do realize that; I quite think that you're altogether the most surprised man I've lately met. I don't know what you did expect when you rang that bell, but I don't suppose that you expected this." "I did not; though you speak in one sense, and I in another. With reference to what you say about those bills, a horrible--I can only call it fear, has come into my mind, of which I scarcely dare to think, lest I should be guilty of heinous injustice; and before I speak of it----" "You would like to have time to think it over?" "I should." "Then you shall have it; that's what I'm coming to. You will be at the office to-morrow morning at eleven o'clock." "I will." "You had better." "You need not tell me that." "Needn't I? I think I need. Mr. Nash and I are administering Mr. Oldfield's estate." "Are you an executor?" "I am; the only executor. I do not know that I ought to say so, but you will understand that I am not committing myself, and that I speak without prejudice; but, at present, it is our wish--Mr. Nash's and mine--not to prosecute." "Prosecute!" "Prosecute. Do you wish me to believe that you were unaware that forgers are occasionally prosecuted? Our first consideration is, and must be, the business; we fear that it may do the business no good to have the manager sent to penal servitude for forgery. These bills have been taken up, in the first place under a misapprehension, at a very heavy cost; we will tell you all about that to-morrow; you will have to make that loss good." "I shall!" "You will; do you imagine that you are to escape scathless? You are a truly remarkable person. But, as I have said, we will discuss that in the morning. I only trust that no further irregularities may be brought to light." "Mr. Morgan!" "Please drop that tone; it makes me sick; nothing is so nauseous as a futile hypocrite. My advice to you is, think things over, carefully, seriously; in the morning make a clean breast of everything; the more candid we find you the better it will be. Now, as Mr. Nash and I have much to attend to, I must ask you to leave us." "That I am willing to do; but so far you have done all the talking; but, before I go, there are some remarks which I wish to make."