is another of those mysteries of conscience.
Had it been necessary, Langdon would have told me the lie flat and direct,
would have told it without a tremor of the voice or a blink of the eye,
would have lied to me as I have heard him, and almost all the big fellows,
lie under oath before courts and legislative committees; yet, so long as it
was possible, he would thus lie to me with lies that were not lies. As if
negative lies are not falser and more cowardly than positive lies, because
securer and more deceptive.

"Well, then, the price must break," said I, "It won't be many days before
the public begins to realize that there isn't anybody under Textile."

"No sharp break!" he said carelessly. "No panic!"

"I'll see to that," replied I, with not a shadow of a notion of the
subtlety behind his warning.

"I hope it will break soon," he then said, adding in his friendliest voice
with what I now know was malignant treachery: "You owe it to me to bring it
down." That meant that he wished me to increase my already far too heavy
and dangerous line of shorts.

Just then a voice--a woman's voice--came from the salon. "May I come in? Do
I interrupt?" it said, and its tone struck me as having in it something of
plaintive appeal.

"Excuse me a moment, Blacklock," said he, rising with what was for him
haste.

But he was too late. The woman entered, searching the room with a piercing,
suspicious gaze. At once I saw, behind that look, a jealousy that pounced
on every object that came into its view, and studied it with a hope that
feared and a fear that hoped. When her eyes had toured the room, they
paused upon him, seemed to be saying: "You've baffled me again, but I'm not
discouraged. I shall catch you yet."

"Well, my dear?" said Langdon, whom she seemed faintly to amuse. "It's only
Mr. Blacklock. Mr. Blacklock, my wife."

I bowed; she looked coldly at me, and her slight nod was more than a hint
that she wished to be left alone with her husband.

I said to him: "Well, I'll be off. Thank you for--"

"One moment," he interrupted. Then to his wife: "Anything special?"

She flushed. "No--nothing special. I just came to see you. But if I am
disturbing you--as usual--"

"Not at all," said he. "When Blacklock and I have finished, I'll come to
you. It won't be longer than an hour--or so."

"Is that all?" she said almost savagely. Evidently she was one of those
women who dare not make "scenes" with their husbands in private