y rather than
give up him.

Surface picked up his cigarette. All his storm signals had disappeared
as by magic.

"I did manage," began the old man, flicking off his ash with an
admirable effect of calm, "to save a small nest-egg from the wreck, to
keep me from the poorhouse in my old age. I did not wish to tell you
this because, with your lack of acquaintance with business methods, the
details would only confuse, and possibly mislead, you. I had, too,
another reason for wishing to keep it a surprise. You have forced me,
against my preferences, to tell you. As to this small pittance," he
said, without the flicker of an eye-lash, "any court in the country
would tell you that it is fairly and honorably mine."

"Thank you. I appreciate your telling me this." Queed leaned over the
table, and began speaking in a quiet, brisk voice. "Now, then, here is
the situation. You have a certain sum of money put away somewhere,
estimated to be not less than a hundred thousand dollars--"

"Nothing of the sort! Far less than that! A few beggarly thousands,
which--"

"Very well--a few thousands. Of course your books will readily show the
exact figures. This money was withheld at the time your affairs were
settled, and therefore was not applied to reducing the--the loss on the
trustee account. Of course, if its existence had been known, it would
have been so applied. In other words, the Weyland estate has been
deprived to the exact extent of the sum withheld. Fortunately, it is
never too late to correct an error of this sort. My idea is that we
should make the restitution without the loss of an unnecessary day."

Doubtless the old man had seen it coming; he heard the galling proposal
with a face which showed nothing stronger than profound surprise.
"Restitution! My dear boy, I owe no restitution to any one."

"You hardly take the position that you have acquired a title to the
Weyland trustee funds?"

"Ah, there it is!" purred Surface, making a melancholy gesture. "You see
why I did not wish to open up this complicated subject. Your ignorance,
if you will pardon me, of modern business procedure, makes it very
difficult for you to grasp the matter in its proper bearings. Without
going into too much detail, let me try to explain it to you. This
settlement of my affairs that you speak of was forcibly done by the
courts, in the interest of others, and to my great injury. The rascals
set out to cut my throat--was it required of me to wh