The board, continued Ryder with icy calmness, had perhaps heard, and also seen in the newspapers, the stories regarding Judge Rossmore and his alleged connection with the Great Northwestern Company.  Perhaps they had not believed these stories.  It was only natural.  He had not believed them himself.  But he had taken the trouble to inquire into the matter very carefully, and he regretted to say that the stories were true.  In fact, they were no longer denied by Judge Rossmore himself.

The directors looked at each other in amazement.  Gasps of astonishment, incredulity, satisfaction were heard all over the room.  The rumours were true, then?  Was it possible?  Incredible!

Investigation, Ryder went on, had shown that Judge Rossmore was not only interested in the company in whose favour, as Judge of the Supreme Court, he had rendered an important decision, but what was worse, he had accepted from that company a valuable gift—­that is, $50,000 worth of stock—­for which he had given absolutely nothing in return unless, as some claimed, the weight of his influence on the bench.  These facts were very ugly and so unanswerable that Judge Rossmore did not attempt to answer them, and the important news which he, the chairman, had to announce to his fellow-directors that afternoon, was that Judge Rossmore’s conduct would be made the subject of an inquiry by Congress.

This was the spark that was needed to ignite the electrically charged air.  A wild cry of triumph went up from this band of jackals only too willing to fatten their bellies at the cost of another man’s ruin, and one director, in his enthusiasm, rose excitedly from his chair and demanded a vote of thanks for John Ryder.

Ryder coldly opposed the motion.  No thanks were due to him, he said deprecatingly, nor did he think the occasion called for congratulations of any kind.  It was surely a sad spectacle to see this honoured judge, this devoted father, this blameless citizen threatened with ruin and disgrace on account of one false step.  Let them rather sympathize with him and his family in their misfortune.  He had little more to tell.  The Congressional inquiry would take place immediately, and in all probability a demand would be made upon the Senate for Judge Rossmore’s impeachment.  It was, he added, almost unnecessary for him to remind the Board that, in the event of impeachment, the adverse decision in the Auburndale case would be annulled and the road would be entitled to a new trial.

Ryder sat down, and pandemonium broke loose, the delighted directors tumbling over each other in their eagerness to shake hands with the man who had saved them.  Ryder had given no hint that he had been a factor in the working up of this case against their common enemy, in fact he had appeared to sympathise with him, but the directors knew well that he and he alone had been the master mind which had brought about the happy result.

On a motion to adjourn, the meeting broke up, and everyone began to troop towards the elevators.  Outside the rain was now coming down in torrents and the lights that everywhere dotted the great city only paled when every few moments a vivid flash of lightning rent the enveloping gloom.