"Did you hold out to him any hopes that I'd be easy on the gang?" "I told him that I doubted if you could be induced to let up." "Then why--?" "Why, because Graeme himself is as innocent of wrong-doing and wrong-intent as you are." "You believe that?" "I do," affirmed Bannerman. His fat pink fingers drummed uneasily on the cloth for a few moments. "There isn't any question that the Dougherty people induced you to sink your money in their enterprise with intent to defraud you." "I should think not," Maitland interjected, amused. "But old man Graeme was honest, in intention at least. He meant no harm; and in proof of that he offers to shoulder your loss himself, if by so doing he can induce you to drop further proceedings. That proves he's in earnest, Dan, for although Graeme is comfortably well to do, it's a known fact that the loss of a cool half-million, while it's a drop in the bucket to you, would cripple him." "Then why doesn't he stand to his associates, and make them each pay back their fair share of the loot? That'd bring his liability down to about fifty thousand." "Because they won't give up without a contest in the courts. They deny your proofs--you have those papers, haven't you?" "Safe, under lock and key," asserted Maitland sententiously. "When the time comes I'll produce them." "And they incriminate Graeme?" "They make it look as black for him as for the others. Do you honestly believe him innocent, Bannerman?" "I do, implicitly. The dread of exposure, the fear of notoriety when the case comes up in court, has aged the man ten years. He begged me with tears in his eyes to induce you to drop it and accept his offer of restitution. Don't you think you could do it, Dan?" "No, I don't." Maitland shook his head with decision. "If I let up, the scoundrels get off scot-free. I have nothing against Graeme; I am willing to make it as light as I can for him; but this business has got to be aired in the courts; the guilty will have to suffer. It will be a lesson to the public, a lesson to the scamps, and a lesson to Graeme--not to lend his name too freely to questionable enterprises." "And that's your final word, is it?" "Final, Bannerman.... You go ahead; prepare your case and take it to court. When the time comes, as I say, I'll produce these papers. I can't go on this way, letting people believe that I'm an easy mark just because I was unfortunate enough to inherit more money than is good for my wholesome." Maitland twisted his eyebrows in deprecation of Bannerman's attitude; signified the irrevocability of his decision by bringing his fist down upon the table--but not heavily enough to disturb the other diners; and, laughing, changed the subject.