"I was always a hand at forgery, but I thought best to turn it to the aid of me country. I'm proud if you liked me work. The last ones were not up to the mark. _I_ was hurried, and Nicky was ugly. He refused to answer any more questions. I had to do it all on me own. Ahfterwards I found I had made a few mistakes." When Marie Louise realized that this man had been calmly taking the letters addressed to Nicky and answering them in his feigned script to elicit further information from Sir Joseph and enmesh him further, she dropped her hands at her sides, feeling not only convicted of crime, but of imbecility as well. Sir Joseph and Lady Webling spread their hands and drew up their shoulders in surrender and gave up hope of bluff. Verrinder wanted to be merciful and avoid any more climaxes. "You see it's all up, Sir Joseph, don't you?" he said. Sir Joseph drew himself again as high as he could, though the burden of his flesh kept pulling him down. He did not answer. "Come now, Sir Joseph, be a sport." "The Englishman's releechion," sneered Sir Joseph, "to be ein _Sportmann_." "Oh, I know you can't understand it," said Verrinder. "It seems to be untranslatable into German--just as we can't seem to understand _Germanity_ except that it is the antonym of _humanity_. You fellows have no boyhood literature, I am told, no Henty or Hughes or Scott to fill you with ideas of fair play. You have no games to teach you. One really can't blame you for being such rotters, any more than one can blame a Kaffir for not understanding cricket. "But sport aside, use your intelligence, old man. _I_'ve laid my cards on the table--enough of them, at least. We've trumped every trick, and we've all the trumps outstanding. You have a few high cards up your sleeve. Why not toss them on the table and throw yourselves on the mercy of his Majesty?" The presence of Marie Louise drove the old couple to a last battle for her faith. Lady Webling stormed, "All what you accuse us is lies, lies!" Verrinder grew stern: "Lies, you say? We have you, and your daughter--also Nicky. We have--well, I'll not annoy you with their names. Over in the States they have a lot more of you fellows. "You and Sir Joseph have lived in this country for years and years. You have grown fat--I mean to say rich--upon our bounty. We have loved and trusted you. His Majesty has given you both marks of his most gracious favor." "We paid well for that," sneered Lady Webling. "Yes, I fancy you did--but with English pounds and pence that you gained with the help of British wits and British freedom. You have contributed to charities, yes, and handsomely, too, but not entirely without the sweet usages of advertisement. You have not hidden that part of your bookkeeping from the public.