Part 45 (1/2)
”You don't see that?” interrogated Fox sharply ”Do you mean to keep it yourself?”
”Not for my own use; I am not that kind of a man, Mr Fox But I have no authority to hand the money over in the unceremonious way you expect”
”Why not? Isn't the boy dead?”
”I have no proof of it”
”What better proof do you want than the _New York Herald?_”
”The account in the _Herald_ may contain errors”
”Perhaps you think the boy could swiested John Fox with sarcasm
”No, I don't think that likely”
”Then what possible chance had he to escape?”
”Hevessel”
”Look here, Mr Howard,” said Fox indignantly, ”you don't mean what you say You evidently mean to keep that money from the lawful claimants I am not much surprised I expected it But I can tell you here and now that John Fox isn't a hts”
”Are you aware, Mr Fox, that your language is offensive and insulting?”
”I don't care I caht not to be in your hands, who are no kith nor kin to Harry Vane It ought to go to me, and I mean to sue you for it”
”Mr Fox, I propose to obey the law, but it appears to ranted that Harry Vane is dead without sufficient proof”
”What raph? The fact is, you don't want to believe it”
”No!” answered Mr Howard in a tone of emotion, ”I don't want to believe that poor Harry is dead”
”Nor I,” said John Fox ”If the boy hadn't been foolish and left my happy home, he'd have been alive to-day But we can't alter facts He's dead, and all our grief won't bring him back”
Benjarief doesn't seeht ”I will test him”
”Even if I were convinced that poor Harry was dead,” he said, ”I should not deliver up the al claim to it”
”So you mean to put all possible obstacles in ht so But, Mr Howard, letyourself?”
”No, I mean the dead boy--that is the orphan's estate--without settling with _me_ I am a man of influence, I'd have you know, and I'll put the ht be well, first, to listen to what I have to say”