"That's a fact; it did rain last night." "Mr. Lyman, I heard something this morning that has grieved me very much." "Oh, about the White Caps. Sit down, won't you?" McElwin sat down. "Yes, the White Caps." He was silent for a moment and then he continued: "The intercourse between you and me has been far from friendly. I do not deny that I should like to see you leave this place, never to return; I acknowledge that I would bribe you to go, but I would not give countenance to a mob that would force you to leave." Lyman looked at him with a cool smile. "Do you mean to tell me, Mr. McElwin, that Sawyer did not speak to you of his intention to take me out as if I were a thief or a wife-beater--" "Stop, sir!" McElwin commanded, holding up his hand. "I forbid you to--" "Forbid is rather a strong word. Don't you think that request would be better?" "Well," said McElwin, softening, "we will say request. As I tell you, your presence in this community is distasteful to me, and your farcical marriage stands directly opposed to my plans. But I would not violate the law and commit a misdemeanor to drive you off. You have reasons for believing that Mr. Sawyer--" "Yes, he was the organizer." "But not with my sanction, sir." "No? But perhaps not without your knowledge." "Sir!" "Keep your seat. Now I am going to tell you what I believe. I believe that Sawyer came to you, after I had burned the check, and told you what he intended to do." "He did, and I told him not to do it." "Ah. But did you go to the law and enter a protest against an outrage which you knew he was going to commit? Did you send me a word of warning or did you quietly wait in the hope that the result might rid you of me?" "Mr. Lyman, I am going to tell you the absolute truth. I advised against it, and after he was gone, I went out to look for him, but he had driven down into the country to--" "To organize his mob," Lyman suggested. "Well, yes, we will say that he had gone for that purpose. And at night I came down town in the rain to see if I could not find him, and when I failed in this, I thought that I would come up here to warn you." He hesitated, with a slight cough. "But you didn't come." "No, not all the way. I halted on the stairs and turned back. I felt that I--" He hesitated. "You felt that you could not afford to antagonize Mr. Sawyer." McElwin coughed. "It was not exactly that, Mr. Lyman. But I did think that it was meddling with something that--that did not concern me." "Didn't concern you? I thought you were deeply concerned, enough at least to feel yourself warranted in attempting to buy me, to hire me to leave." "You don't quite understand, Mr. Lyman." "Oh, yes I do. The trouble with you is that I understand too well. Go ahead with your absolute truth." McElwin cleared his husky throat. "I went home, sir, and passed a most anxious night; I suffered, sir, far more than you did." "No doubt of that. I enjoyed myself."