John glanced over the whole article. He should have taken warning from the other and contrived to head this off; but there was no time for regretting the mistake, and he turned from that to the present aspect of the situation. Sponley had made his second move, and John felt it a relief that the period of inaction was over. The Bear must have had some good reason for waiting till now for giving out the information he had possessed as early as Tuesday night. It remained for the Banker to discover what that reason was. He tossed the paper aside, told two funny stories to Mrs. Bagsbury, ran a verbal tilt with Dick, who, taken by surprise, had rather the worst of it, and then began asking Martha absurd questions about her Sunday-school lesson. When they rose from the table, he announced his intention of going to church. “I can think so well there,” he explained. “I can see through more things while the sermon is going on than I can all the rest of the week.” “There’s a gentleman to see you, sir,” said the maid. “He’s in the library.” When John opened the door he found Mr. Cartwright striding hurriedly about the room, much in the manner of a caged polar bear. The old gentleman had driven to the house, but he could not have looked warmer had he run all the way. “Sit down, Mr. Cartwright,” said the Banker. “Make yourself as comfortable as possible this hot morning.” But Mr. Cartwright had no intention of being comfortable. He wheeled upon John, drew from an inner pocket the _Morning Herald Supplement_, and thrust it out at arm’s length, as though it were a deadly weapon. “Have you read that?” he demanded. John glanced at it carelessly, then handed it back. “Yes,” he said, “I have read it. That kind of thing is extremely irritating.” “Irritating!” thundered Mr. Cartwright. He walked suddenly to the window and peered anxiously down the street. “I telephoned to Mr. Meredith to meet me here,” he said, in an uneasy parenthesis. Then turning again upon John he wrathfully repeated, “Irritating!” “That is my great objection to the Sunday papers,” the Banker went on politely. “They drag a man back to school when he’s entitled to a holiday. A man should be spared annoyances of this sort one day in the week.” “I do not take the Sunday papers; I disapprove of them as strongly, no doubt, as you yourself. This infamous article was shown me by a friend of mine, a very good friend of mine.” “I should be inclined to doubt the friendship of a man who did me such a favor,” said the Banker, smiling. “Upon my word, you take this very lightly, Mr. Bagsbury!” The old gentleman spoke fiercely, but he was not himself; he missed his echo. He checked another movement toward the window. “I wish Mr. Meredith would come. In a grave matter like this, his judgment would be invaluable.” “If you will allow me,” said John, “it seems to me that you are taking it rather more seriously than is necessary.”