“No, I didn’t say all that,” Brady protested; “I simply said that a big block of the stock was bought for you.  It wasn’t necessary to say why.”

“But you don’t really believe that this stock was purchased for me, or with my knowledge, do you?”

Few men could resist the frank appeal of Gorham’s eyes when he chose to exert it, and Brady was not one of these.  He moved uncomfortably in his chair, and laughed consciously.

“Why, no, guv’nor, since you put it that way, man to man, I don’t.”

“Then why did you say what you did?  I can’t blame you for harboring some resentment against me because I interfered with your plans in that railway deal, but this statement is so easily refuted that I wonder why you made it.  It was to discover this that I asked you to come here this morning.”

Brady looked over at Covington meaningly.  “That was just why I did do it,” he said.  “I knew it would bring out certain facts that I wanted to have known.  I ain’t harborin’ any resentment against you.  You licked me, an’ I took my medicine.  P’raps I’ve worried you a bit in Washington since,—­that’s another matter.  I’m a sport all right, an’ I know when to take my hat off to any man.  But there is other slick Alecks, who think they’re so all-fired smart, that I like to get even with when they try to be funny with me,—­an’ there’s one of ’em sittin’ in that chair over there now.”

“Well—­go on.”  Gorham encouraged him as he paused, at the same time studying the unexpressive face of Covington as the man progressed.

“Just before that railway deal was put through, an’ Harris an’ me was feelin’ nervous about you gettin’ so close to the big stockholders, I found out that this Covington here was saltin’ away some good blocks of stock of the New York Street Railways Company.  He wasn’t buyin’ them direct, you understand, an’ the stool-pigeon he was usin’ happened to be one of my own men.  Then I sent Harris to see Covington, to get his influence with you to let our personal scheme go through, usin’ the little information we had gained to act as an argument to help him make up his mind.  He see the game was up, of course, an’ then he tried to be smart.  He had it all figured out that if he could unload that stock on your daughter, it would make things run easier for him when the facts come out.  I wouldn’t have held this up against him, for it was nothin’ but a cheap trick, but then he come to us of his own accord, an’ told us that you an’ him had gone all over the matter, an’ you was goin’ to let the thing go through all right.  Well, you remember what happened.  He evidently went right back to you an’ told you what we had up our sleeve.  I swore then I’d get even with him, an’ this is the way I chose to do it.”

“That’s the whole story, is it?” Gorham asked.

“Yes; unless friend Covington here can add a few details.”

“I don’t think he can,—­but you do him an injustice in thinking that he spoke to me of your plans.  His failure to do so is noteworthy, but it affects others rather than yourself.  I am exceedingly obliged to you for your time and frankness.  I will not detain you further unless Mr. Covington would like to make any comments.”