"Do you mean that? If that's true you robbed us, you thief, robbed us cold and clean." He sprang up. "I knew you'd do something----" "Sit down," interrupted Clement harshly. "I'm not going to have any words with you. If I had seen fit not to tell you of this how much would you have known of it? Sit down and keep your tongue between your teeth." He turned to Dan and his voice was softer. "Dan, when I was hungry you took me in and fed me. For that I've given you a good position. Is that debt paid?" "Sure, Clement, me boy, it was only a sup of p'taties an' bacon, annyway." "Biddy, I turned over two thousand dollars to you, and rebuilt your eating-house. You thought that paid the debt I owed you?" Biddy was slower to answer. "For all the grub an' the loikes o' that, indade yis, Mr. Clement--but sure we wor pardners----" Clement interrupted. "I know. I'm coming to that. Now answer me. If it hadn't been for me wouldn't you have thrown up the sponge long before you did?" The silence of the little group answered him. "Would any of you ever have worked out the mystery of that ore? Weren't you all anxious to sell for anything you could get?" They were all silent as before. "I made the mine worth money. I discovered the secret, it was my invention. I paid you four times what you had put into it. The mine was worthless until I invented a process for saving the gold. I claimed it as an invention like any man claims a patent right. I believed I had a right to it--to all of it, and so I bought in your stock after I had solved the problem of the reduction. I say I believed I was right--to-night I believe I was wrong--it don't matter how I came to the conclusion, but I've changed my mind. I have come to-night to make restitution. I am ready to pay you ninety cents more on every dollar of stock you sold me at that time." Biddy gasped: "Howly Saints!" Dan leaped up with a wild hurrah. "Listen to that now!" he cried, with other incoherences. He shook Clement's hand and kissed Biddy. He praised Clement. "Ye're the whitest man that iver stepped green turf." Clement sat coldly impassive and unsmiling. "Then you're satisfied?" "Satisfied!" shouted Dan. "Satisfied is it, man? Indade I am." "And you, Biddy?" Biddy was weeping and muttering wild Irish prayers. "Dan, dear, do ye understand, it's forty-five thousand dollars apiece to the two of us. Oh, the blessed old Ireland! I'll go back sure. Oh, it's too good to be true--we must be dramin'." Clement looked at the distracted woman with a flush of self-righteousness. He had been right in his fears. It seemed like to ruin the simple souls. He turned to Eldred, who sat in silence. "What have you to say?" Eldred sneered. "I say you can't fool me. These shares are worth seventeen dollars and eighty cents each. I want their market value, not their par value. I want one-quarter the present value of 'The Witch.'" Clement's brow darkened and his eyes burned with a fierce steady light.