"We shall clear the law, all right, within the limit," was the prompt reply. But the banker was still unsatisfied. "Did you notice that roomful of people out there waiting to see me?" he asked. "They are High Line investors, a good many of them, and they are waiting for a chance to ask me if they hadn't better get rid of their stock for whatever it will bring. That's why I sent for you. I want to know what's happened. And this time, Mr. Smith, I want the truth." Smith accepted the implied challenge promptly, though in his heart he knew that a net of some kind was drawing around him. "Meaning that I haven't been telling you the truth, heretofore?" he asked hardily. "Meaning just that," responded the banker. "Name the time and place, if you please." "It was the first time you came here--with Baldwin." "No," said Smith. "I gave you nothing but straight facts at that time, Mr. Kinzie. It was your own deductions that were at fault. You jumped to the conclusion that I was here as the representative of Eastern capital, and I neither denied nor affirmed. But that is neither here nor there. We have made good in the financing, and, incidentally, we've helped the bank. You have no kick coming." Kinzie wheeled in his chair and pointed an accusing finger at Smith. "Mr. Smith, before we do any more business together, I want to know who you are and where you come from. If you can't answer a few plain questions I shall draw my own inferences." Smith leaped up and towered over the thick-set elderly man in the pivot-chair. "Mr. Kinzie, do you want me to tell you what you are? You're a trimmer--a fence-climber! Do you suppose I don't know what has happened? Stanton has started this new scare, and he has been here with you! You've thought it all over, and now you want to welsh and go over to what you think is going to be the winning side! Do it, if you feel like it--and I'll transfer our account to the little Savings concern up-town!" There was fire in his eye and hot wrath in his tone; and once more Kinzie found his conclusions warping. "Oh, don't fly off the handle so brashly, young man," he protested. "You've been in the banking business, yourself--you needn't deny it--and you know what a banker's first care should be. Sit down again and let's thresh this thing out. I don't want to have to drop you." Being fairly at bay, with Debritt in town and Josiah Richlander due to come back to Brewster at any moment, Smith put his back to the wall and ignored the chair. "You are at liberty to do anything you see fit, so far as I am concerned," he rapped out, "and whatever you do, I'll try to hand it back to you, with interest."