"There's no use going on in this way any longer, Elijah! There's no trouble where you are bent on finding it. It's in the beginning. Let's go back and straighten that out, then we can get somewhere." "Well, what is it!" There was an exasperating twist in Elijah's words. Helen passed it by. "I've done wrong and I know it. I wanted to get ahead, and getting ahead meant money. I couldn't get into the Las Cruces--" "I gave you the chance," interrupted Elijah. Helen paid no heed to the interruption. "So I began to look around for myself. You know the rest." "There's no use going back to that." Elijah spoke impatiently. "Yes there is use," Helen persisted. "You have done wrong and you know it. You're trying to square yourself by finding fault with me. It's no use. The farther you go, the worse off you are. The long and short of it is, you can't throw dust in your own eyes." "I'm not trying to throw dust in my own eyes." The very vehemence of his denial gave the lie to his words. "You are trying to, and you can't. Nothing can blind your eyes to the fact that you are a criminal." Elijah's eyes were blazing through their narrowed lids. "I won't allow even you to say such things to me." "If you would only say them to yourself, it wouldn't be necessary. I hate to say it, Elijah, but,--you took fifty thousand dollars of the company's money. That's embezzlement. It's a crime." Helen voiced her long suppressed suspicion. "You smoothed it over by putting in its place your note for the amount, secured by your stock in the company." "Have you been through my private papers?" Elijah burst out. "That's not to the point; but no, I haven't." "Then how do you know this?" In spite of herself, in spite of her growing horror at the weakness of this man who had seemed so strong, Helen could not repress a touch of womanly sympathy in her reply. "Because, Elijah, I know you." Elijah was not to be turned easily from a real wrong. It was good to feel a just cause of resentment. "You have no right to pry into my private affairs. I have given you no warrant for it." "Yes, you have given me a right. I am associated with you in this business and I have a right to know. I wish you would tell me if I am right in my guess." The impulse was strong in Elijah to attempt to deceive Helen even as he had long deceived himself, but there was a look in her eyes that weakened the impulse. "Why?" "Because that would square you with yourself. You could hunt a way out then, and I'm ready to help you. But you haven't answered my question yet. Am I right?" "Why do you want to know?" "Ralph and Uncle Sid were in to see you this morning." "What about?" "Seymour will be here soon--" Elijah interrupted. "Who's told Seymour?"