Пробный камень
XII
Everyimplicationthatthewordscontainedhadreacheditsmark;butGlennardfeltthattheirobviousintentionwaslostintheanguishofwhattheysuggested.HewassurenowthatFlamelwouldneverhavebetrayedhim;buttheinferenceonlymadeawideroutletforhisanger.HepausedbreathlesslyforFlameltospeak.
“Ifsheknows,it’snotthroughme.”ItwaswhatGlennardhadwaitedfor.
“Throughyou,byGod?Whosaiditwasthroughyou?DoyousupposeIleaveittoyou,ortoanybodyelse,forthatmatter,tokeepmywifeinformedofmyactions?Ididn’tsupposeevensuchegregiousconceitasyourscoulddeludeamantothatdegree!”Strugglingforafootholdinthesmalllandslideofhisdignity,headded,inasteadiertone,“Mywifelearnedthefactsfromme.”
Flamelreceivedthisinsilence.Theother’soutbreakseemedtohavereinforcedhisself-control,andwhenhespokeitwaswithadeliberationimplyingthathiscoursewaschosen.“InthatcaseIunderstandstillless—”
“Stillless—?”
“Themeaningofthis.”Hepointedtothecheck.“WhenyoubegantospeakIsupposedyouhadmeantitasabribe;nowIcanonlyinferitwasintendedasarandominsult.Ineithercase,here’smyanswer.”
HetoretheslipofpaperintwoandtossedthefragmentsacrossthedesktoGlennard.Thenheturnedandwalkedoutoftheoffice.
Glennarddroppedhisheadonhishands.Ifhehadhopedtorestorehisself-respectbythesimpleexpedientofassailingFlamel’s,theresulthadnotjustifiedhisexpectation
