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I been doin’ kitchen police around this town for quite a spell now, Judge, but from this day on I ain’t goin’ to take that sort of talk from anybody.

I assure you that you won’t have to take any sort of talk at all from me.

[He starts for the door.

I did n’t mean that. I don’t want you to think I ain’t grateful for all you ’ve done for me.

(coldly)

I have done nothing for you.

If it was n’t for you, I ’d want to die; that ’s what I did want. I was afraid of that prison, just a coward about it. Now I ’m a free man, with a big life openin’ out ahead of me—I got everything in the world right here in my two hands, everything—and I owe it to you!

I am very glad to say that you don’t owe me anything. I don’t like you, I have n’t forgiven you for what you did to your mother’s life. Nor for a worse thing, one you have n’t brains enough to even know you ’ve done. Don’t be grateful to me, Ben, please. I think nothing could distress me more than that.

You ’ve been a good friend to me.

I have n’t meant to be, as I said I don’t like you. I have n’t any faith in you. I don’t believe in this