It come to a lawsuit, an' I--was ruined." It hurt me to look at Hoden.

He was white, and tears rolled down his cheeks.
I saw the bitterness, the defeat, the agony of the man.

He had failed to meet his obligation; nevertheless he had been swindled.
All that he suppressed, all that would have been passion had the man's spirit not been broken, lay bare for me to see.

I had now the secret of his bitterness.
But the reason he did not openly accuse Sampson, the secret of his reticence and fear--these I thought best to try to learn at some later time, after I had consulted with Steele.
"Hard luck! Jim, it certainly was tough," I said.

"But you're a good loser.