"On what?" said he. It is hard to tell from his face what is going on in
his head, but I think I guessed right when I decided that Saxe hadn't yet
warned him.

"I have just found out from Saxe," I pursued, "about the Canal Bill."

"What Canal Bill?" he asked.

"That puzzled look was a mistake, Langdon," said I, laughing at him. "When
you don't know anything about a matter, you look merely blank. You overdid
it; you've given yourself away."

He shrugged his shoulders. "As you please," said he. As you please was his
favorite expression; a stereotyped irony, for in dealing with him, things
were never as _you_ pleased, but always as _he_ pleased.

"Next time you want to dig a mine under anybody," I went on, "don't hire
Saxe. Really I feel sorry for you--to have such a clever scheme messed by
such an ass."

"If you don't mind, I'd like to know what you're talking about," said he,
with his patient, bored look.

"As you and Roebuck own the governor, I know your little law ends my little
canal."

"Still I don't know what you're talking about," drawled he. "You are always
suspecting everybody of double-dealing. I gather that this is another
instance of your infirmity. Really, Blacklock, the world isn't wholly made
up of scoundrels."