"
"Then why--?"
"Why, because Graeme himself is as innocent of wrong-doing and
wrong-intent as you are."
"You believe that?"
"I do," affirmed Bannerman. His fat pink fingers drummed uneasily
on the cloth for a few moments. "There isn't any question that the
Dougherty people induced you to sink your money in their
enterprise with intent to defraud you."
"I should think not," Maitland interjected, amused.
"But old man Graeme was honest, in intention at least. He meant no
harm; and in proof of that he offers to shoulder your loss
himself, if by so doing he can induce you to drop further
proceedings. That proves he's in earnest, Dan, for although Graeme
is comfortably well to do, it's a known fact that the loss of a
cool half-million, while it's a drop in the bucket to you, would
cripple him."
"Then why doesn't he stand to his associates, and make them each
pay back their fair share of the loot? That'd bring his liability
down to about fifty thousand."
"Because they won't give up without a contest in the courts. They
deny your proofs--you have those papers, haven't you?"
"Safe, under lock and key," asserted Maitland sententiously. "When
the time comes I'll produce them."
"And they incriminate Graeme?"
"They make it look as black for him as for the others. Do you
honestly believe him innocent, Bannerman?"
"I do, implicitly. The dread of exposure, the fear of notoriety
when the case comes up in court, has aged the man ten years.
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