human
Got a face, hasn't he? He can bluff. We may find him rather a harder nut to crack than I imagined; it's just possible that we may have to change our plan of operations; the line he has taken up is a little unexpected. What do you think?
gpt
I don't think, Mr. Morgan; I know.
human
What do you know, my dear Nash?
gpt
I know one thing; that if you do go to Mr. Clifford's office in the morning you will go alone.
human
Shall I? How's that? Got a previous engagement?
gpt
Here, and now, you and I part company; you go your way, I go mine; under no circumstances will I associate myself with you again.
human
Steady, Nash, steady; do you know where talk like that will lead you?
gpt
It will lead to honesty.
human
It will lead you to jail, and pretty soon.
gpt
Will it? I'll take the risk. It is not necessary for you to remind me that on a certain occasion I behaved like a blackguard, and perhaps worse; I have only regretted it once, and that's been ever since.
human
Regrets, in a case like yours, are useless; they simply mean that you regret that you're found out. Of course you do.
gpt
You'll find that my regrets mean more than that. I've behaved badly since; I've acted like a coward in allowing you to use your guilty knowledge.
human
Guilty knowledge?
gpt
Yes, your guilty knowledge, as you'll discover if you're not careful; I've let you use it as a lever to drive me into further misdoing. You've threatened me with the consequences of my misconduct; I've been afraid to face them. That's over now; I'm going to face them, if only as the lesser of two evils.
human
Tell me, Nash, what's started you in this conversational strain?
gpt
What's brought me to the sticking-point is your conduct to Mr. Clifford. He's an innocent man; of that I'm absolutely certain; every insult you flung at him stung me; it shamed me to feel that I was your associate. I'll be your associate no longer. I'll have no part or parcel in your attempts to entangle Mr. Clifford as you've entangled me. I believe they'll fail; but if they do or don't, I'll have no share in them. Henceforward you and I are strangers; I'm going; if you stay, you stay alone.
human
Going, are you? Oh no, you're not!
gpt
Mr. Morgan --even in his voice there was a new tone--
human
Come, my dear fellow, don't let us fall out about nothing at all. I'm quite ready to listen to anything you have to say; only, before you take a step there's no retracing, do listen to reason.
gpt
No, thank you; I've heard too much of what you call reason already; I'll hear no more. Stand out of my way.
human
Nash, Nash, don't be hasty! If you'll only let me speak a dozen words, you'll view the situation in quite a different light.
gpt
Shall I? Then I'll not let you speak them. I see the situation now in the only light I mean to see it. Stand out of my way.