The Great Secretary-of-State Interview
away from him: "Young man, see here, did you or did you not quote the Secretary of State correctly? This means a good deal to us."
"Well, look at my notes." He held them up for everybody, looking round for sympathy; but there was none.
"Oh, damn your notes! Did you, or did you not, quote him correctly?"
"Why, I thought you"
"Never mind what you thought."
"Well, all I can say is"
"Did you, or did you not, quote him correctly?" thundered Van Cise.
"Well, all I can say—" returned Carrington, his voice breaking in the middle, "is that I sat right next to him and wrote exactly what he said to me, word for word, and if the other papers missed it, that's not my funeral. And you can't get me to acknowledge anything else, no matter what you say."
This was just what Reed, and Van Cise, and all the staff wanted to hear, although they did not look it. Reed was still smiling limply.
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