If you are making a note"-- he turned to Whiteside, who was taking down the statement in shorthand, "I beg of you to make a special point of my denial.

Irregularities and carelessnesses," he repeated carefully.
"Beyond that I am not prepared to go." "In other words, you are not confessing anything ?" "I am not confessing anything," agreed Mr.Milburgh with heavy gravity.
"It is sufficient that Mr.Lyne suspected me, and that he was prepared to employ a detective in order to trace my defalcations, as he termed them.

It is true that I lived expensively, that I own two houses, one in Camden Town and one at Hertford; but then I had speculated on the Stock Exchange and speculated very wisely.
"But I am a sensitive man, gentlemen; and the knowledge that I was responsible for certain irregularities preyed upon my mind.

Let us say, for example, that I knew somebody had been robbing the firm, but that I was unable to detect that somebody.

Would not the fact that I was morally responsible for the finances of Lyne's Stores cause me particular unhappiness ?" "You speak like a book," said Whiteside, "and I for one don't believe a word you say.