“Now, what does this whole affair mean?” demanded George Melville.

“As far as I understand it,” answered Jack’s employer, stiffly, “it looks as though your son and yourself had framed up a scene, to be witnessed in poor light, at night, in which my young captain would appear to be hound enough to sell out Pollard’s business secrets, and mine.”

“I can assure you,” said the capitalist, coldly, “that I had nothing to do with any deception.”

“Then your son, without your knowledge, fixed up to-night’s affair.”

“You seem bound to fasten something upon my son.”

“Well, Mr. Melville, can’t you yourself understand that everything appears to point to Don as the prime mover in all this business?”

“I do not agree with you, sir.”

“Well, perhaps that’s hardly to be expected.” laughed Jacob Farnum.  “However, since the real Jack Benson wasn’t in that little picture so neatly framed for inspection, let us get up closer to him, and ask him to tell us just what did happen.”

So Jack, as the party turned into the road, related the story of the trap that had been sprung on him, and how he had escaped from it.

At the conclusion of the narrative, Mr. Farnum turned around to say to Don: 

“Young man, if you have engineered the whole of to-night’s plan, I must compliment you on your originality and ingenuity.  Nothing but accident prevented you from having a complete triumph.”

“Be careful, sir, what you say about my son!” warned George Melville, pompous in his anger.

“As it disturbs you,” smiled Farnum, “I won’t say any more about it.  The whole business will keep.”

The elder Melville, however, pulled Mr. Farnum by the arm until he had him well to the rear of the others.

“Now, Farnum,” murmured the capitalist, in a conciliatory voice, “I am ready to admit that it begins to look a bit as though my son may possibly have been a bit reckless.  I shall want the truth of it all proved.  But, if I am satisfied that Don has been wholly in the wrong in anything that he has done, believe me, I shall be most ready to make the matter right with you.”

“Right with me?” repeated the boatbuilder, in amazement “What do you mean by that?”

“Why, I mean, of course, that, if I am convinced that Don has been headstrong and over-zealous—­”

“Mr. Melville, listen to me, and understand me fully.  It looks as though to-night’s business had been engineered on purpose to dissuade Mr. Emerson from investing money in my enterprises.  If that is true, it is a matter of conspiracy, and I cannot hold out any hope to you that I shall allow anyone to escape just punishment.”

“Do you threaten my son?” demanded the elder Melville, a menacing frown clouding his face.

“Of course not unless he can be shown to be undoubtedly guilty.  For your sake and his I hope that won’t be the case.  And now, sir, good night.”