Part 8 (1/2)

WARDEN. Made you her agent?

STERLING. Yes! What a G.o.dsend! Hunter didn't leave a cent.

[_A moment's pause of astonishment._]

WARDEN. What do you mean?

STERLING. It seems he's been losing for a long time. Everything he had he lost in the copper crash.

WARDEN. But this is awful! What will Mrs. Hunter and her two young daughters do?

STERLING. I don't know. I hadn't thought of that.

WARDEN. You'll have to think of it.

STERLING. I?

WARDEN. Of course you'll have to help them.

STERLING. I can't! Look here, I didn't tell you the truth about my affairs last week, when I struck you for that loan.

WARDEN. You don't mean to say you weren't straight with me?

STERLING. Oh, I only didn't want to frighten you till I'd got the money; if you had made me the loan, I'd have owned up afterwards all right enough.

WARDEN. Owned up what?

STERLING. That I told you a pack of lies--that I haven't any security!--that I haven't anything but _debts_.

WARDEN. [_Strongly._] Good things to borrow on! Look here, d.i.c.k, how long have we been friends?

STERLING. Since that day at boarding school when you took a licking for something I did.

WARDEN. What I mean is we were pals at school, chums at college, stanch friends for twenty years.

STERLING. h.e.l.l! Are we as old as all that?

WARDEN. Inseparable friends till the last two years.

[STERLING'S _eyes s.h.i.+ft._

STERLING. I've been overworked lately, and everything has gone wrong!

WARDEN. [_Comes up to him, and speaks firmly but still friendly._] You _yourself_ have _gone wrong_!

STERLING. [_On the defensive._] What do you mean?

WARDEN. Why did you take your business out of my hands?

STERLING. The law didn't pay me enough. I thought I'd try a little amateur stockbroking.