Just once he tried to justify his past methods, but with a sneer of scorn he put such thoughts from him.

As he sat in deep meditation the door opened again.  He looked up, and saw that it was Mr. Forbes who had entered.

“I am glad to see you,” said Mr. Denton, quickly, “and I hope you are feeling entirely recovered.”

Mr. Forbes bowed slightly, as he dropped into a chair.

“Mr. Forbes,” said Mr. Denton, “I am ashamed of myself!  I never knew until to-day that I was such a scoundrel!”

He pointed to the paper that he still held in his hand, and in a very few words repeated his late conversation.

“That is necessary in business,” said Mr. Forbes shortly, “and it is, to say the least, peculiar that you shouldn’t know it!”

“Well, it’s an infamous trick!” was Mr. Denton’s rejoinder.  “Just think of the poor people whom we have defrauded in that manner!”

“I prefer to think of the dollars it has brought into our pockets,” said Mr. Forbes sullenly, “and now that we are on the subject, I may as well say, Mr. Denton, that I am sick and tired of this whole idiotic business!”

“Do you wish to sell out?”

Mr. Denton spoke calmly.  “If so, name your price while I have the money to pay you.”

“Oh, you do expect to fail, then?  You still have sense enough for that!” said Mr. Forbes quickly.  “Then, why not give up your fad at once and run the business properly?”

“Do you mean as we have been running it?” asked Mr. Denton, with a sharp glance at him.

“Certainly, with a few modifications, perhaps,” was the equally sharp answer.

“Never!”

Mr. Denton’s voice rang out like the blast of a trumpet.

“Go back to such infamous practices?  Never!”

“Very well, then,” said Mr. Forbes, with sudden anger in his voice, “I do wish to sell out!  What will you give me for my interest?”

Mr. Denton wheeled around, and looked at him eagerly.

“I had hoped you would see things differently,” he said at last.  “I thought that perhaps you would appreciate my desire, which is to make myself more worthy of the God that made me.”

Mr. Forbes shifted uneasily, and finally rose from his chair.  He was plainly disturbed over the situation.

“I do appreciate your efforts, and I honor them, in a way,” he said slowly, “but I have not the courage to make such a sacrifice myself, and I very much doubt if such a sacrifice is demanded.  A proper observance of religion is enough; a man need not crucify his worldly ambitions in order to be worthy of heaven.”

“‘Let him take up his cross and follow Me,’” quoted Mr. Denton.  “My cross is to do exactly as I am doing.  It is not easy to bear, but I am happy in bearing it.”

“But where will it lead to?” asked Mr. Forbes eagerly.  “What proof have you that your reward will come?  This may be a delusion that you are following.”